Docking

[fin_s_guy]

I'm currently a rack customer and it works out well...but I've seen some people on the transient docks that have me pretty nervous. Why do people use so much throttle when the boat doesn't respond the way they "think" it should?!? It's water people. Things take time to develop. Nice and easy. Use a boat hook if you have to. I watched a guy pulling in next to me yesterday with the wind and I knew it was coming, so I walked up to the bow just in time to push his pulpit off my hull before he throttled up. Watched another guy rub 10 feet of his own hull on the floating dock knuckle.

Bottom line...NICE AND EASY!! If you need to "gun it"...you're doing it wrong!

[shrimpman steve]

I see two different scenarios.

1 lack of experience. I think we've all been there. I know I was my first year. Almost excusable. Especially if the are apologetic.

2. People are just aholes and don't care about anyone but themselves. There are lots of those. (Unfortunately)

[Capt. Debbie]

Nailed it! Yes you bump the boat. Throttle in and back to neutral. 3 knots will break fiberglass.


I see two different scenarios.

1 lack of experience. I think we've all been there. I know I was my first year. Almost excusable. Especially if the are apologetic.

2. People are just aholes and don't care about anyone but themselves. There are lots of those. (Unfortunately)

[theJasonO]

I've been on boats a lot in my life but not until recently did I get my own. I trailer everywhere I go also. I'd say that's the most nervous part for me (a noobie), is docking. More coming in then going out but wind is a big factor as well. I'm confident I will get it down, but that comes with time, the experience part. Other than that I'm so glad to finally have my own boat and willing to learn everything that I can to be safe and do everything the best that I can.

[dakota560]

As others have already said, the biggest mistake people make is over throttling. Tendency when people get nervous is to over react or in this case over throttle. Speed is your biggest enemy when docking. Best thing to do is think things through in advance. Wind direction usually more than tide is a big factor, unless your slip is on the main river in which case tide might be the over riding factor. Slips inside a marina wind direction is more a factor since there's very little current once inside. Either way, think it through before leaving and coming back in. Predominant wind direction during the summer in our area in the afternoon is SE, understand what that means in docking your boat. If not SE, then it's typically W, understand what that means. If you have it down in your mind what you have to do then it's just a matter of executing. And DON'T over power the boat, nice and easy and as someone pointed out, bump it in and out. It's not rocket science, just trial and error but know in advance what you want to do before putting yourself in that position. Fwiw there's nothing wrong with asking someone for help the first few times you try, nothing beats experience and it will shorten the learning curve and take some "error" out of trial and error!

[saltfisherman]

most forget to check the flag. Every Marina has a flag flying, check the wind direction. Plus the tide.

Sometimes you have to go past the spot you want to be in to come at it from down wind direction. Use the tide or wind to help you. It can help you catch the boat to easily turn it. It can help create drag to slow you down and better control you.

People need to figure out which side of the docks to come in from. How does the wind affect your boat and do you need to be very tight to the upwind side of the docks until you hit an open where the wind catches your bow and how do you react.

Also 3 speeds around any other object. Slow, slower and slowest.