Boat Docking Tricks

Learn various methods to dock your boat.

Part of having a quality boating experience includes having boating skills that include docking, knot-tying, anchoring, ramping and maneuvering. Overall, the most important skill is docking a boat. Docking allows the owner to safely park and secure the boat efficiently. Securing the boat after riding entails positioning the boat into a dock, securing and locking the boat.

Practice

Docking a boat is not a maneuver that should be rushed. Factors to consider when docking include the weather, tides, time of day and your ability to navigate on the open water. Practice navigating the boat on the open water. Drive the boat up to a dock slowly. When conducting this maneuver, get a feel for how the waves and wind affect the boat. When mastering docking techniques, practice handling the boat in day and night time situations.

Docking

Select an area of the dock to place the boat. Ensure that the water is not too shallow. Docking can be done on the water or on a portable dock. Portable docks will require you to have a car and a boat docking hitch. Another docking method is a docking storage facility. These types of facilities manage boats in enclosed buildings. Boats are hauled into the storage area and hauled onto machines. The machines place the boats in storage racks.

Tie Ropes

Prepare the ropes on your boat to tie to the docking station. This will keep your boat secured and free from floating away. Tie one end of rope to the bow and stern of the boat. Navigate the boat as close as possible to the docking location. Tie the other end of the rope to the cleats that are attached to the docking station. Once secure, drop the boat's anchor in the water. This will secure the boat in place from floating against rough waters.

Powerboat Docking

Docking a boat with a motor board can be tricky. Steer the boat with the momentum from the engine toward the docking station. Slowly maneuver the boat up to the docking station. When close to the docking area, cut the engine off. Shift the engine gear to the natural position. Align the rudders to be in a straight position. This will allow the boat not to sway one side or the other. When docking a twin engine boat, navigate the boat at a slow speed to ease the boat into the docking station.

References

• Boating with Dawsons: Boat Docking E-Lessons
• Yacht Survey: Docking in Style With Twin Screw Boats
• Made Man: How to Dock A Boat

Resources

• Skipper Tips: How to Dock a Boat with a Single Dock Line in Any Weather
• Jet Dock: Boat Lift and Dock Education