More Fun With Docking

Some docking success comes from figuring out your boat's best and worst qualities. Titania does not like to back up straight even though she has a short keel. And Sara B's old Thornycroft diesel has torque and prop walk, useful in tight quarters (she only makes left turns though.)

Often when cruising, your options are limited. Make sure you have some sort of plan and make it clear to the person going ashore with the lines what that plan is. When we aren't sure which side of the boat will be next to the dock, we deploy a couple fenders on each side. Then when a dock presents itself, we only have to shift one or two to the appropriate side. Hand signals are a great idea. We don't use em but we should!

In rivers with current keep alert for a possible back eddy near fixed walls even as you give her a little gas to make the approach. Currents usually trump wind as water is almost 800 times denser than air. Sometimes you can do nifty things with spring lines if your boat has prop walk like Sara B does. Check on line for articles and videos showing various techniques at BoatUS website or Google docking simulators to 'practice' this winter.