From Boating Safety Magazine

Ten Tips to Make Docking Easy and Safe

Follow these simple rules to alleviate the dread of docking

By Randy Vance

Docking a boat can be a dreaded task for any boater. No matter the size of the boat, the current or the wind, it’s close-quarters maneuvering that takes the most gelcoat from boats. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you follow these simple rules.

1. Never approach a dock any faster than you want to hit it. Some captains like to hot-dog around, showing how efficiently they can shift and throttle, but even the best of them can be tripped up — either by misjudging distance, drift and vector, or by stalling their engines at shifting points, rendering the boat a helpless victim of its undirected momentum. A slow, steady approach is the sign of an experienced, steady skipper.

2. Never approach a docking situation without a plan. Perfect planning makes for perfect performance. It’s as simple as that.

3. Communicate your plan to your crew and clearly delegate any tasks you would have them perform. For instance, assign one competent passenger a bow line, another a stern or spring line. You might want to have other passengers hang fenders over the side at contact points to avoid scratching the boat. Assign these tasks and the order in which you want them done well in advance of the maneuver.

4. Warn your passengers to keep arms and legs inside the boat and away from pinch points between the boat and dock. To protect the boat in case of a harder-than-expected landing, have them suspend fenders at contact points.

5. Never allow a passenger to jump ship until the docking maneuver is complete and the boat is secure. The force of leaping off the boat can misdirect its motion, causing an accident, or can make the boat move away from the dock, lengthening. Read more:

https://www.boatingsafetymag.com/boatingsafety/ten-tips-make-docking-easy-and-safe