We all love a day out in the water. The calmness that the boating experience brings simply helps your brain reset. When it’s time to get off the boat, though, you must know how to dock it correctly. Doing it right lowers the risk of scratching both your vessel and the boats surrounding you.
However, learning how to dock a boat doesn’t come easy to many, especially for beginners. With the wind, current, and narrow channels, you can expect that docking a boat can get on everyone’s nerves.
The docking process can get a bit stressful. Most of the time, you’ll spend mentally preparing yourself just so you don’t get too worried about crashing into the dock or the next boat and watching your fellow boaters cringe.
But, thank heavens, learning how to learn a boat isn’t all that hard. After you’ve overcome your fears, it will be easier to go with the docking process.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of docking your boat. Make sure to relax, take your time, and don’t be scared to fail a few times until you can dock to perfection—I’m rooting for you!
How Do You Dock a Boat Step by Step
Prepare your boat
The first thing to do is to prepare the boat while still on the water before reaching the docking spot. Check that all of the necessary docking gears you’ll need like dock lines and boat fenders are in place. This will keep you from going through the hassle of getting to the last minute when you’re already at the port.
Have your fenders and docking lines ready
Make sure to let the fenders hang. They should be sitting just above the waterline most of the time but without touching the water. Set them on the boat at an appropriate height. This way, they can meet at the pier when you arrive.
You’ll need two or three fenders, a bowline, a stern line, as well as at least one spring line. Then, tie the bow and stern lines to your boat’s cleats that you’ll be attaching to the dock.
Be aware of your surroundings
It’s crucial to know how the water is in that location, whether you’re boating in the middle of the lake or heading to the marina to safely dock. You’ll want to be aware of what’s in the way when you try to find a docking spot, and whether or not you’ll need to use the trim function.
Recognizing what’s surrounding you can help you brace yourself for docking. Below are some important things to remember as you approach the dock:
- Keep a close watch on the wind and current. If it’s a windy day, you may have to apply more power than usual.
- Check that the boat has adequate room to turn around if needed.
- Try to recognize what’s in your path.
- Make sure you know if you’ll need to tie your boat safely to a cleat or a post.
- If it’s shallow near the docking area, you may have to trim it up. In this case, your boat should respond differently when the trim is raised than when it’s lowered. Play with the trim function on the water and get a sense of how the engine would behave if trimmed up during the docking process.
Adjust the throttle/speed
You understand what it requires to bring your vessel to particular speeds. Don’t ever approach the dock quicker than you intend to land on it. In some cases, a lot of throttles are necessary to dock a boat. However, most of the time, having your boat moving at a slow speed will benefit you the most.
It would be helpful if you can envision what is going on beneath the sea. Slowing down allows less outflow from the propeller to aid in the shift. With lower speeds, there is very little water moving through the rudders.
Slowing down allows for sharper maneuvers since the boat pivots instead of skids as it does while sailing. Your goal here is to unlock a “burst of power” in exactly the right direction and then coast. However, how much of that burst a boat has depends on the vessel and the docking situation.
That burst of power gives sufficient RPM to deliver enough power to alter the course of the boat without contributing much forward or reverse motion. Even when the engine is temporarily cranked, the boat continues to move slowly. With such an approach, you may master to pivot and coast the boat and have it respond.
If you make an excessively rapid approach and abruptly reverse at a higher speed to avoid a crash halt, your boat might twist and turn. The control is then switched forward with the increased throttle in an effort to rectify the prop-torque-induced twisting.
It is generally preferable to maneuver at a slower speed. Going it easy with the throttle reduces the chance of injuring your boat and others. It also lessens the severity of any damage if you meet up. Docking entails a sequence of controlled coasts in neutral, separated by quick surges or bursts of power in gear.
Get to the dock
As soon as the pier is in sight, you need to make your approach to docking the boat. Focus on keeping cool and go slowly.
Make sure to not go any quicker than you’re ready to dock. You might fall into the trap of speeding up too fast in one direction. And that is when you find yourself in trouble, so go slowly and carefully.
You can start by approaching the dock at a 45-degree angle. Then, slowly float in, and once the bow reaches the dock, carefully reverse your boat, direct the engine to the dock, and repeat the action until the stern swings reach the dock.
Use your spring line
Spring lines prevent your boat from going forward or backward and lessen pounding against the dock. Also, if it’s windy or the current knocks you off the dock, you may use it to get back on it.
You can use engine power to spring your vessel to the pier if you could get a rope ashore and wrapped around a piling or cleat. Which is either front or farther back on the dock to reduce motion and bring you near. You don’t have to tie it ashore since a crew member may tail a loop around a secure place.
You must attach the spring line as far aft as possible, as midships at minimum, then power against it with your rudder pointing away from the dock.
Go with the bowline
When you get near the dock, let your deckhand throw a bowline to a dockhand. Make sure that the dockhand secures the bowline to the pier while not using all of their power to try to draw it in as firmly as possible. Otherwise, it will just kick your stern out and cause further issues.
A case in point is when you’re tying up on the right side and the heavy wind is blowing you off the dock. In this situation, you bow in and extend an aft spring line to someone on the pier. You may advance forward on the spring line and steer hard to the starboard (right side) with your boat forward using a wrap-around cleat.
But if your boat has twin screws, you can only use the port engine and steer hard to starboard. And even if you go slow, the boat should start to hedge ahead and draw closer to the dock.
Ask the deckhand to deliver a stern line to someone on the pier. When secure, this may be hauled in firmly and replaced for a crossing stern. Having these three lines in place, you could have the dockhands draw your bow in snugly and fix any springs as needed.
Tie up your boat to the dock
At this point, you should have made it to the dock. The next thing you need to do is tie your boat to the dock. You must analyze the situation, and you may simply make minor adjustments by hand rather than going through the docking process again.
Loosen the safety rope and ensure the boat is in neutral before leaving the helm. Make sure to maintain engine power while tying off your bow and stern lines to the dock as doing so allows you to move fast if your boat starts to shift away from the dock because of strong winds.
After you’ve tied your boat and turned off the engine, you may make any necessary adjustments by hand if you only need to bring the boat up a cleat
And Now You’re Safely Docked!
See how easy that was?
Now, it’s time to shut down your vessel and protect it from the weather. You must turn everything off (lights, radio, etc). Also, if there are any valuable items in the boat, take them out. Then, place the mooring cover.
Docking in a Slip
Docking in a slip is a normal situation for boaters, whether you’re docking in your own private slip, or at a marina. Make sure to have your fenders and docking lines placed on both sides of your boat prior to docking.
Like with any docking scenario, you should look at your surroundings. Are there any nearby boats? How about the wind and current conditions?
When docking in a slip, always go at a slow pace. Slips are tight so you have limited movement. You’ll want to set your boat so that you can reverse into the slip. And before you can start pulling in, you should center your wheel.
Then, reverse your vessel into the slip carefully while maintaining your equilibrium as best you can. Instruct your passengers to remain seated, keeping the boat stable as it pulls into the slip.
Next, use one last short burst of forwarding force to break your backward motion. You can tie two bow lines and two stern lines (which should be crossed) to both sides of the boat slip.
Bonus Tips on Docking Your Boat:
- If it’s a windy day, it is usually easier to dock bow-in rather than back down.
- Always use the boat fenders to avoid causing any damage to your and other boats. This is especially important if you’re docking on a crowded pier.
- Large ball fenders will be your best friend. It can save you hundreds of dollars in damage costs. Make sure to have some on board. It comes in handy particularly if you have a couple of additional hands-on-decks who can hold one in their palm and swivel their heads.
- If your boat has a bow or stern thrusters, avoid using it for more than 2 seconds each time. Otherwise, it can burn out.
FAQs
What is the safest way to dock a boat?
When you’re near the dock, use the reverse to come to a stop. Fix the bowline, then set the vessel in forwarding gear for a few seconds, and slowly crank the steering wheel back out to sea, swinging in the stern. And finally, fix the stern line.
How do you dock a boat in a slip in the wind?
If the wind is blowing offshore, a 20 to 30-degree angle approach should be used. Then, you can attach and pass a bow line ashore. For boats equipped with an outboard or inboard/outboard engine, the engine should be reversed and directed towards the dock, bringing the stern of the vessel to dock where you can fasten it with the line.
How do you dock a boat in a strong current?
In a heavy current or wind, just draw the boat parallel to the dock and use enough force to stay where you are. Now, without worrying about forwarding or aft motion, you may use minor turns of the wheel to nudge your vessel towards the dock in small increments.
Is it hard to dock a boat?
Docking a boat may be daunting and challenging, especially if you are a new boater. Fortunately, learning how to dock a boat does not have to be hard. And both beginners and seasoned boaters should be able to master the basics by taking a few easy steps.
Is it easier to back a boat into a slip?
Parking your boat in the slip stern first enables smoother boarding, whatever your docking scenario is. Also, the power and water attachments are at or near the transom. This reduces the inconvenience of having to drape the cables over the rail or the side deck to the shore power unit.
