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Boat Docking Techniques Made Easy
by Thomas Holley
http:www.pontoonboatdirect.com
It is a sure sign of spring as thousands of people start
flocking to the lakes to enjoy a day of boating. While
most of these boaters are experienced, many first time
boaters hit the lakes each year. These first-time boaters
are also hitting the docks.
Docking techniques are always going to be dependent upon
the weather and wind conditions, but there are a few simple
things you can keep in mind. First of all, especially in
this particular case, practice makes perfect. Although we
can provide tips, docking techniques in boating are going
to be something you will have to personalize to your
experience, your boat, and the dock itself.
A common mistake many new boaters make is attempting to
approach the dock in a straight line. It is best to
approach the dock at an angle. An angled approach will
make it easier to get close to the dock and improve the
accuracy of your approach. However, you must still control
the speed at which you come into the dock.
Staying in control of the boat and its speed is not as
easy as it may sound. An idle speed can prove to be too
fast for your approach and coasting will cause a loss of
control in steering. The solution lies somewhere in the
middle. You must use controlled bursts of power and then
coast to control your speed.
You'll have to practice this one over and over. As you get
closer to the dock start to turn the boat and decelerate to
a stop by using reverse. Again, the deceleration reduces
steering capability. You are going to have to rely on the
momentum of the boat to get you over this obstacle.
Momentum and speed are not the same thing. Momentum is
simply the forward motion of the boat that will actually
carry you into the dock. You will need just enough momentum
to get you to the dock and allow you to smoothly make the
shift to reverse to stop. Once you've actually mastered
this task, you'll probably agree that the best docking
technique is the one that you learn by trial and error.
Nothing will be a better teacher than practice, practice,
practice.
A few parting words of advice would be to take it slow and
do not get nervous or discouraged at your first few initial
trials as they will improve with each attempt.
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