Docking Your Boat

[Ripl]

Docking a Boat
Whether you’re new to boating or more experienced, docking is always something to practice and continue to improve upon. Environmental factors can change the experience every time, but the more practice, the better, so you can dock quickly and efficiently in various conditions.

Safety Tips 
Before you dock, keep these things in mind: 

• Never put your hand or other body part between the boat and the dock. 
• Always make sure the boat is in neutral before stepping away from the helm. 
• Be gentle with the throttle as you approach a dock. Small corrections are key.
• Make sure you steer the boat in the intended direction before you put it in gear. A popular rhyme to help remember this is “steer then gear.”

Supplies 
Depending on the size of your boat, you’ll need at least: 

• 2 boat fenders 
• 2 dock lines

Steps to Dock Your Boat

The first few times docking are the most challenging, but you'll start to feel more and more comfortable the more you practice.

  

[WaterWanderlust]

Practice, practice, practice is what most boaters tell me, but also switching up where you practice, if you're at a new dock/marina, if it's a little bit windy, etc. Making sure you challenge yourself to try docking in different environments helps you quickly learn + master this skill.