How to Dock a Power Boat
Docking a power boat can be tricky, especially when you add a little wind to the mix. Anyone who's tried it knows that it's not just a matter of lining the boat up with the dock. Boaters know that you have to respect the elements when out on the water, and that especially applies when you dock a power boat.
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Instructions
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Begin to line up your boat when you are still a hundred yards or more from the dock. It helps to visualize a direct line from your power boat to the point at which you want to dock it. Keep this line in mind as you get closer to the dock.
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Adjust your speed so that you are not creating any more waves than necessary as you come closer to shore. Your own waves can cause your boat to bob and weave more than you want, and the creation of too many waves closer to shore can cause people nearby to get angry.
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Watch the direction of the boat with respect to the waves and the currents. Constantly steer as needed, adjusting power when necessary, to make sure the boat stays on the path you've chosen.
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Slow to crawl speed as you near the dock or boat hoist. Once you are sure of your entry into the space you've chosen, cut power completely. You need power to steer the boat, so keep it on as long as you need to, but as soon as the boat is within a few feet of the docking point, you can turn off the power.
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Steady the boat by holding onto the dock, railings, poles or any portion that you can reach as you coast to a complete stop. You should be going so slowly at this point that there will be no problem stopping the boat in this way. Then tie it up or center it on the hoist, as the case may be.
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Tips & Warnings
Watch out for your hands and feet as you reach out to stop the boat's forward motion. You will be going very, very slowly, so there shouldn't be a danger, but you need to be careful not to get your hands, feet, arms or legs in between the boat and the edge of the dock.
Be careful of the currents. The water may try to push the boat one way or the other, so you need to watch your destination point carefully and make sure that the general direction of the boat is the one that you want.
