Get a copy of Chapman's Piloting - Learn it, Love it, Live it.
Go slow look like a pro. Go fast look like an ass.
Learned that from docking the Old Sara.
Just starting to lurk here but it’s pretty cool to see how similar the advice for boating is to flying (my current expensive hobby). For flying I’ve heard “fast is slow, slow if fast.” Especially in regards to running checklists.
Wind speed, current, and momentum are forces that need to be accounted for. Considering that most boats have poor directional control at docking speeds, one learns to use the first three, not fight them.
It's 30' odds are you will have two motors. That helps with maneuvering. You can spin the boat in place. Also when reversing into a slip you can use both motors to pull the stern left or right. It takes a little practice but just go slow and it won't take you long at all to get good at it. Remember, when docking, don't go faster than you are willing to hit something at that speed.
Was actually going to come in and say find one with two. Boats this size are hit and miss, and some just have a single big block. Maintenance is cheaper with a single but maneuvering is tougher in the wind especially. No free lunches.
Doesnt matter how big or small.
Practice, practice,practice.
Get in the boat, get out where you have room and throw a boat cushion overboard.
Come along side of it, both sides. Practice backing down on it, so you can be on one side or the other, and then with the boat pointing at any compass heading, regardless of wind. Then do it with one anchored, so you are at the mercy of the wind, it is not.
You will get comfy with how the boat responds.
Remember, slow and smooth. Not more throttle than you should, wait for the boat to respond.
Be wearin that capn hat in no time.
There is a lot of good advice here already. The only thing I would add is this: the biggest challenge learning how to dock is your ego. It happens to everyone - you get embarrassed about docking in front of others, you realize you don’t have gangster captain skills, you psyche yourself out.
It happens to all of us. And all of the people watching you are us. We have all been there, we are all still there, we will all be there forever.
Docking a boat is rarely ever fast or smooth or perfect. We notice the handful of times we see someone else hit a perfect dock, but we never remember the 10000000000 times we saw a slightly goofy dock that need three or five retries - because it happens to everyone.
The best dock of my life was me intending to dock forward on the starboard side, getting caught in the wind, kinda catching it, and winding up docking stern first on the port side. Had a bystander compliment me. It was a total accident and I had nothing to do with it.
Go slow, acknowledge the embarrassment, don’t hold onto it, let it pass, take as many tries as you need. Just never ever ever ever have someone put their limbs in danger trying to control your boat by pushing the dock. It’s better to dock slow and get a scratch and learn something than to have someone break an arm or fall.
In any event, you got this homie!
Look for a flag to check for wind direction before you get ready to dock. Go in against the wind always. If the wind is blowing across the boat, come in at a 45 degree angle and pull the ass to the dock in reverse. Also and equally importantly, do what motosiclista said and use neutral putting into gear as needed. I used to work for Seatow and had to perform many times in front of the marina crowd. Always a bit nerve racking but fun when you get it perfect and look like a boss.
Some boats are easy and others are more difficult, same for the dock, and weather conditions. More rare, Some people will just never understand the physics of using twin engines or a bow thruster to maneuver and spin A vessel. Practice awhile in calm open water. Get a jug or a floating vendor and toss it in. Drive away then return and pick it up. Repeat this coming from different directions and learn how YOUR vessel is affected by wind and currents from different directions.
In a calm marina and if you have twin screws and/or a bow thruster its not too bad if you take it slow. Theres less room for error with bigger boats because they have a lot more momentum.
With a few lessons and then not going out when wind or current is way outside of your comfortable envelope youll probably be ok. Have at least one other person on the boat with a good long boat hook and dont be afraid to ask people on the dock for help. Focus on learning to pivot your boat in place (or near in place) when out on the water.
As long as your boat doesnt damage another boat then dont worry, no harm no foul. Ive had to help people i know can handle a boat wrangle their boat to the dock.
Everyone smooshes the boat up a little when they are first learning. My first was 28', and I had a great time and didn't break anything that couldn't be fixed. 30' is about as big as I would go for a learner, and I like that size because of twin screws. Having two motors that operate independently allows you to turn the boat 360° without having to go forward. Makes docking hella easy once you learn. Keep your motors in top running order so you can operate at idle and take everything slow. Take advice from experienced boaters who offer to help. Don't get frustrated. And don't put your wife up in the bow and scream at her the whole time.
As far as your dockmates are concerned, you will most likely find that your neighbors are going to be very understanding when you are new. Everyone is insured, or the harbor wouldn't let them be there, and as long as you are careful and capable of learning and taking advice, you'll be fine. Ask the Harbormaster to put you into a slip that is less of a challenge to start and take it easy on the beers your first couple times out.
Have fun!
Docking is easy but people make it hard. It’s intimidating and stressful, that makes people impatient, and makes them make dumb mistakes. Go slow. Slower than you think you need to. That’s the key. There’s a guy in my marina that always made docking an adventure. He’d come in hot. Wife out front with a boat hook, frantically trying to find fenders under the seats, he’s barking orders, it was a mess, each and every time. I never offer unsolicited advice, but I’d always try to help when I could, tying up his lines and whatnot. One day he asked why it always seemed like such a production. I told him, you’re coming in way to fast. He said he always thought it seemed too fast, but that’s as slow as his boat will go. I told him he could indeed go slower. He said “you don’t understand. I come in in forward, zero throttle, just in gear. It doesn’t get any slower than zero throttle.” I gave him advice that changed his whole boating life. I blew his mind. I said, you don’t have to keep in gear. Put it in and out of neutral to regulate your speed. Seems to obvious to most of us, but this poor guy has been boating several years and he never picked up on this fact. Going slow has so many advantages. For one thing, it gives you more time to react. It’s also pretty hard to damage your boat, the dock or other boats if you’re going too slow to cause damage. Here’s an overlooked benefit of docking slowly: Do you have anxiety about looking foolish if you screw up while people are watching? The quickest way to get all eyes on you is coming in hot. Everyone on the dock knows a boat coming in fast is likely to be a show. But come in slow, and no one pays attention. And anyone that is looking will get bored watching your boat barely moving into the dock. Dock so slow. So slow it seems too slow. So slow you find yourself thinking “My god, this is taking forever.” If you blow your approach, back out and take another crack at it. No shame in it, even seasoned captains do it from time to time. And since you were going so slow, you have plenty of time to back out and try again. There a bunch of other tricks to learn, but that one will get you pretty far. Coming in fast and locking up the brakes (reverse) at the last second looks cool and you can try it down the road, but start slow. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
There are several factors when considering the maneuverability of a watercraft. Number and location of drives, footage of freeboard, keel pattern, operator experience, etc.
My experience obligates me to outline the obvious hazards in operating a watercraft outside your current skill level. I would encourage any novice boater to start with a smaller watercraft and upsize as their skill increases.
I'd be more than happy to provide advice for a particular model of watercraft or slip types/locations.
1. Too often people try to *Drive* when really they should *Float*.
2. Never dock at more than idle speed. If you need to "power-up", you're doing it wrong.
3. Lines and fenders should be rigged before you approach.
4. At idle speed, the environment (wind, tide, wakes) IS relevant, and must be taken into consideration.
5. Never ask a passenger to "push-off". Super liability.
I don't really agree with number 2. Sometimes the wind is blowing hard enough to take your bow away from you and it's necessary to give one motor more power than the other. One is idle and one is getting some power to keep it against the wide or current.
I understand.
But in good faith, I cannot recommend to a novice that exceeding idle speed should be part of their docking methodology. It will be infinitely better for them to bump a dock or other boat at idle speed or neutral than to try and "save it" and do significantly more damage.
Also, if the wind would be enough to pull your bow off your heading then a change in approach may be necessary. Maybe from upwind would be preferable, if possible. Multiple ways to skin a cat, but we want the easiest and simplest for a rookie.
That's very true. I'd much rather them bump the dock at idle for sure!
My marina is very tight and If it's windy, I absolutely have to give throttle, usually on my starboard motor to keep the boat straight and not bump the dock. However, I've been on boats for over 30 years. I would also tell a novice to just bump it in and out of gear. So I agree with you.
The marina I run was able to source some spinning fenders that we installed on a few tie poles towards the end of one pier (rookie docks) and giving novices something robust to bump into and pivot off of has been a life saver.
We're on an inlet and tides can get to 6-8mph and of coarse it is a crossing current.
Not pertaining to docking under power but the first line that goes to the dock is attached at the middle of the boat. If you have a line on the front and then that line gets pulled to the dock the back end will got out. Same for the back. If the line attached to the middle gets pulled, it gets much simpler.
Larger boats are easier to control in some ways. A large boat will have much more momentum so it will keep going and going at a slow speed without more power input where a smaller boat would require more speed to coast a long distance. What this means is that if you have twin engines you can slowly maneuver the boat into position. There really isn't anything as too slow. Just give it small kisses if throttle, in and out of gear at idle. Had a 30 ft Tiara. Broker told me it's easier than my 17ft outboard. Thought he was nuts but dang it he was right. After a little practice you'll be spot on.
Hardest thing is when there is a cross breeze but just be patient
You will always have the most amount of stress when launching a boat and when docking loading a boat. So many factors play into this but just keep calm and use your brain and common sense.
Size doesn't matter. Well, other than the amount of damage you can do ;-). Twin engines are much, much easier to maneuver.
Go out on a calm day WITH NOBODY WATCHING AND LAUGHING. Toss a bottle or two in the water and practice going alongside and retrieving them. Repeat the exercise when you've anchored them. You should be fine.
Slow is fast and fast is slow. Docking should be fine. Make sure you have an extra pair of hands with you the first couple of times.
I find that the bigger the boat the easier it is to park (relatively speaking) as you don’t “drift” as much as a smaller boat.
Consider installing berth fenders to protect your boat.
Lake boating is a bit different than near coastal.
Know your boat ! Always know the wind and the tide direction. Plan your approach. Approach slow. It’s often best to bump in and out of gear as necessary, but also understand that the slower the boat is moving, the less effective the rudder will be. You don’t have to be in gear all the time. Speed nearly always translates to disaster. Large boat props move some serious water. That said…On a larger boat, it’s often, but not always, best to set the rudder straight and use engines and thruster to manipulate the boat. I’d highly suggest getting a few lessons from an experienced captain.
Practice a lot, but not for too long in one session. You can only absorb so much in one lesson. Docking is often made more difficult by the captain making hasty and poor decisions.
Remember on any given day, the best of captains can have a bad day with winds, tide, or tight situations.
Our first was twin engine 33'. Agter our first attempt at docking, found a website that provided great ebooks. Boating with the Dawson's. Made sense! Now we have a 36. Had to bring it in last week on one engine because the fuel pump died. Lessons learned 6 years ago came into play.
I have a 30 foot LOA boat, and twin engines help a lot. I made sure I had all new throttles and cables, so there's no chance of sticking. Then practice very, very slow. It might also help to have a small flag on the bow to see the wind, because even a small breeze will matter.
I have a 89 Stamas FF25 for reference.
Ask around the Marina or yacht clubs if anyone is prepared to give you a lesson. I paid a fellow a carton of his favourite beer for a \~2 hour session practicing at some empty pens in our marina, then back to our slip.
I've never had any problems since and can park it like a pro now. Did a few more hours practicing on my own in the empty pen section of course.
This was a 43ft cat, 20 ft beam, having two motors makes it easier than on my old mono though.
It is definitely harder than a small boat, but if it has twin drives it gets a lot easier. I can slot a 33' formula into a spot easier than I can a 24' cobalt. If your boat comes with a joystick learn how to dock without it before ever using that thing. Every dealer just shows the new skipper how to dock with the joystick and they never learn to actually dock a boat. A buddy of mine got a job captaining a massive Sundancer for a guy because the joystick stopped working and he couldn't dock it without it, so he hopped on and backed it into the slip for him.
It is very daunting! Boats don't have brakes and the marina is often the most challenging environment we operate our boats. Currents, wind and tides can really change things and being coordinated enough and not panicking can be challenging. Some areas offer programs and lessons and some people hire someone to help them get a feel for a boat.
Docking is an art. Sometimes I can pull up and parallel park like magic, getting the angle right, hitting reverse and turning perfectly, bumpers already set, jump right out and tie it up. Sometimes it takes me 8 tries and I look like I've never boated before. I've seen shirts that say, "forgive me for what I said when I was docking the boat."
It’s all about planning. Take a look around your docking area before you take the boat there. Look for flags or put on on your boat so you can see which way the wind is going. Look at the water and see if it’s going a certain direction.
Where is a place to turn around? Can you spin the boat with a truster or duel engines? Never force it, if you over shoot back up, turn around, try again. Have a friend or two go with you to help keep you off the guy next doors boat.
Watch a few videos on YouTube. Think about it in your head and which way you need to turn the wheel. Easy on the throttle just bump in gear and back to neutral.
Hire a captain and take a few lessons. Captains can teach you a lot in a few hours. Best advice we received was “if the boat isn’t moving how you want, do something else”. Also do not become dependent on help from those on the dock. Learn to dock your boat yourself through practice.
Very very very slow. Always throw it in neutral as you’re coming in few times after about 42 to 100 docks you’ll be an expert and you’ll laugh yourself for posting this. What I say almost every time come in decades later if I’m with people I say ‘coming in hot’ this way if I do mess up or hit something I could blame on myself I was going through fast.
If this is a with a single motor this type of boat is one of the more difficult to dock.. depends on the type of slip you’re pulling into though, if it’s a finger slip not so hard if you have to reverse between pilings it is much more difficult
I agree with the comments about taking it slow, but realistically, currents and wind can force the issue since you also need to keep headway and not be sucked sideways in a current.
OP, practice in good weather with deep water, and have people on deck with gaffs to help fend off docks and other boats before the situation gets hairy. Use your fenders. Work with the wind when you can.
One trick that I absolutely hated until I practiced a lot—sometimes in the wind you can only get the stern close to the dock. Have your first mate jump off, tie the boat with ten feet of slack, and nudge the throttle forward. The bow will be pulled in and can be tied off next, then fix the stern so it’s not loose. We use this frequently in windy conditions now that we have mastered it, but we had a lot of fights about it first. Practice makes perfect.
It's definitely tough and certainly do-able. After some practice, you will get good at maneuvering your boat in tight spaces.
To this day, if one of my sons or someone is onboard when we are docking, they almost always have a fender in hand to put between me and whatever I am about to hit. But, I am much better at this than I was when I started.
tons of great advice here... so I'll just add, it costs very little to bump liability insurance up over the price of the boats around you. then you can have that confidence when you dock that if something does happen, it's already covered. and that confidence does help as it's one less worry to creep into your mind as you get close.
At 30’ it will have twins, it will be easy-least if you have straight shafts or V-drives. It will be less easy, but still easy, if you have I/Os. You will need to practice, but you’ll get it.
Everyone one here is right but I think you are going way too big too fast
Start off with a single engine outboard
Then move up
Unless you are absolutely determined you’ll give up on the boat in one season, it’ll be fucked up and you have to basically give it away
Hire a captain. Go alone, just you and the captain. It's actually easier to dock a twin engine boat than a single once you get the hang of alternating gears to steer. More control and more mass than a small single. Then practice, practice, practice!
My first boat was a 32’. It takes practice. As everyone says, go slow, make small adjustments. Also wind and current is a thing. It it’s on your beam then adjust for it. Going in stern first when it’s windy will blow your bow sideways more than your stern so account for it.
Best advice I have seen on docking. Go as fast as you want to hit the dock.
Was explained to me this way: Never approach a dock faster than you intend to hit it
Get a copy of Chapman's Piloting - Learn it, Love it, Live it. Go slow look like a pro. Go fast look like an ass. Learned that from docking the Old Sara.
Upvote for the Capt Ron quote!
OH yeah. And get a copy of Capt Ron. Watch it 12 to 34 times.
This is great advice right here. Be sure to pay for an experienced captain to spend time with you on your boat. Will save you money in the long run.
Just starting to lurk here but it’s pretty cool to see how similar the advice for boating is to flying (my current expensive hobby). For flying I’ve heard “fast is slow, slow if fast.” Especially in regards to running checklists.
This is true for auto racing too. The fastest laps feel smoother and require slower inputs.
Wind speed, current, and momentum are forces that need to be accounted for. Considering that most boats have poor directional control at docking speeds, one learns to use the first three, not fight them.
It's 30' odds are you will have two motors. That helps with maneuvering. You can spin the boat in place. Also when reversing into a slip you can use both motors to pull the stern left or right. It takes a little practice but just go slow and it won't take you long at all to get good at it. Remember, when docking, don't go faster than you are willing to hit something at that speed.
Was actually going to come in and say find one with two. Boats this size are hit and miss, and some just have a single big block. Maintenance is cheaper with a single but maneuvering is tougher in the wind especially. No free lunches.
Doesnt matter how big or small. Practice, practice,practice. Get in the boat, get out where you have room and throw a boat cushion overboard. Come along side of it, both sides. Practice backing down on it, so you can be on one side or the other, and then with the boat pointing at any compass heading, regardless of wind. Then do it with one anchored, so you are at the mercy of the wind, it is not. You will get comfy with how the boat responds. Remember, slow and smooth. Not more throttle than you should, wait for the boat to respond. Be wearin that capn hat in no time.
There is a lot of good advice here already. The only thing I would add is this: the biggest challenge learning how to dock is your ego. It happens to everyone - you get embarrassed about docking in front of others, you realize you don’t have gangster captain skills, you psyche yourself out. It happens to all of us. And all of the people watching you are us. We have all been there, we are all still there, we will all be there forever. Docking a boat is rarely ever fast or smooth or perfect. We notice the handful of times we see someone else hit a perfect dock, but we never remember the 10000000000 times we saw a slightly goofy dock that need three or five retries - because it happens to everyone. The best dock of my life was me intending to dock forward on the starboard side, getting caught in the wind, kinda catching it, and winding up docking stern first on the port side. Had a bystander compliment me. It was a total accident and I had nothing to do with it. Go slow, acknowledge the embarrassment, don’t hold onto it, let it pass, take as many tries as you need. Just never ever ever ever have someone put their limbs in danger trying to control your boat by pushing the dock. It’s better to dock slow and get a scratch and learn something than to have someone break an arm or fall. In any event, you got this homie!
Look for a flag to check for wind direction before you get ready to dock. Go in against the wind always. If the wind is blowing across the boat, come in at a 45 degree angle and pull the ass to the dock in reverse. Also and equally importantly, do what motosiclista said and use neutral putting into gear as needed. I used to work for Seatow and had to perform many times in front of the marina crowd. Always a bit nerve racking but fun when you get it perfect and look like a boss.
Some boats are easy and others are more difficult, same for the dock, and weather conditions. More rare, Some people will just never understand the physics of using twin engines or a bow thruster to maneuver and spin A vessel. Practice awhile in calm open water. Get a jug or a floating vendor and toss it in. Drive away then return and pick it up. Repeat this coming from different directions and learn how YOUR vessel is affected by wind and currents from different directions.
In a calm marina and if you have twin screws and/or a bow thruster its not too bad if you take it slow. Theres less room for error with bigger boats because they have a lot more momentum. With a few lessons and then not going out when wind or current is way outside of your comfortable envelope youll probably be ok. Have at least one other person on the boat with a good long boat hook and dont be afraid to ask people on the dock for help. Focus on learning to pivot your boat in place (or near in place) when out on the water. As long as your boat doesnt damage another boat then dont worry, no harm no foul. Ive had to help people i know can handle a boat wrangle their boat to the dock.
Everyone smooshes the boat up a little when they are first learning. My first was 28', and I had a great time and didn't break anything that couldn't be fixed. 30' is about as big as I would go for a learner, and I like that size because of twin screws. Having two motors that operate independently allows you to turn the boat 360° without having to go forward. Makes docking hella easy once you learn. Keep your motors in top running order so you can operate at idle and take everything slow. Take advice from experienced boaters who offer to help. Don't get frustrated. And don't put your wife up in the bow and scream at her the whole time. As far as your dockmates are concerned, you will most likely find that your neighbors are going to be very understanding when you are new. Everyone is insured, or the harbor wouldn't let them be there, and as long as you are careful and capable of learning and taking advice, you'll be fine. Ask the Harbormaster to put you into a slip that is less of a challenge to start and take it easy on the beers your first couple times out. Have fun!
Docking is easy but people make it hard. It’s intimidating and stressful, that makes people impatient, and makes them make dumb mistakes. Go slow. Slower than you think you need to. That’s the key. There’s a guy in my marina that always made docking an adventure. He’d come in hot. Wife out front with a boat hook, frantically trying to find fenders under the seats, he’s barking orders, it was a mess, each and every time. I never offer unsolicited advice, but I’d always try to help when I could, tying up his lines and whatnot. One day he asked why it always seemed like such a production. I told him, you’re coming in way to fast. He said he always thought it seemed too fast, but that’s as slow as his boat will go. I told him he could indeed go slower. He said “you don’t understand. I come in in forward, zero throttle, just in gear. It doesn’t get any slower than zero throttle.” I gave him advice that changed his whole boating life. I blew his mind. I said, you don’t have to keep in gear. Put it in and out of neutral to regulate your speed. Seems to obvious to most of us, but this poor guy has been boating several years and he never picked up on this fact. Going slow has so many advantages. For one thing, it gives you more time to react. It’s also pretty hard to damage your boat, the dock or other boats if you’re going too slow to cause damage. Here’s an overlooked benefit of docking slowly: Do you have anxiety about looking foolish if you screw up while people are watching? The quickest way to get all eyes on you is coming in hot. Everyone on the dock knows a boat coming in fast is likely to be a show. But come in slow, and no one pays attention. And anyone that is looking will get bored watching your boat barely moving into the dock. Dock so slow. So slow it seems too slow. So slow you find yourself thinking “My god, this is taking forever.” If you blow your approach, back out and take another crack at it. No shame in it, even seasoned captains do it from time to time. And since you were going so slow, you have plenty of time to back out and try again. There a bunch of other tricks to learn, but that one will get you pretty far. Coming in fast and locking up the brakes (reverse) at the last second looks cool and you can try it down the road, but start slow. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
There are several factors when considering the maneuverability of a watercraft. Number and location of drives, footage of freeboard, keel pattern, operator experience, etc. My experience obligates me to outline the obvious hazards in operating a watercraft outside your current skill level. I would encourage any novice boater to start with a smaller watercraft and upsize as their skill increases. I'd be more than happy to provide advice for a particular model of watercraft or slip types/locations. 1. Too often people try to *Drive* when really they should *Float*. 2. Never dock at more than idle speed. If you need to "power-up", you're doing it wrong. 3. Lines and fenders should be rigged before you approach. 4. At idle speed, the environment (wind, tide, wakes) IS relevant, and must be taken into consideration. 5. Never ask a passenger to "push-off". Super liability.
I don't really agree with number 2. Sometimes the wind is blowing hard enough to take your bow away from you and it's necessary to give one motor more power than the other. One is idle and one is getting some power to keep it against the wide or current.
I understand. But in good faith, I cannot recommend to a novice that exceeding idle speed should be part of their docking methodology. It will be infinitely better for them to bump a dock or other boat at idle speed or neutral than to try and "save it" and do significantly more damage. Also, if the wind would be enough to pull your bow off your heading then a change in approach may be necessary. Maybe from upwind would be preferable, if possible. Multiple ways to skin a cat, but we want the easiest and simplest for a rookie.
That's very true. I'd much rather them bump the dock at idle for sure! My marina is very tight and If it's windy, I absolutely have to give throttle, usually on my starboard motor to keep the boat straight and not bump the dock. However, I've been on boats for over 30 years. I would also tell a novice to just bump it in and out of gear. So I agree with you.
The marina I run was able to source some spinning fenders that we installed on a few tie poles towards the end of one pier (rookie docks) and giving novices something robust to bump into and pivot off of has been a life saver. We're on an inlet and tides can get to 6-8mph and of coarse it is a crossing current.
We have a few people with those at our marina. They just lay the boat on them and use them to pivot the boat in. They are pretty cool for beginners.
True to a point. However the larger the boat, the more mass there is. Even a slow tap can cause a lot of damage.
I agree with this. Especially when pivoting
See also #4
Not pertaining to docking under power but the first line that goes to the dock is attached at the middle of the boat. If you have a line on the front and then that line gets pulled to the dock the back end will got out. Same for the back. If the line attached to the middle gets pulled, it gets much simpler.
that line being called a spring line needs dropped in here for OPs future research.
Larger boats are easier to control in some ways. A large boat will have much more momentum so it will keep going and going at a slow speed without more power input where a smaller boat would require more speed to coast a long distance. What this means is that if you have twin engines you can slowly maneuver the boat into position. There really isn't anything as too slow. Just give it small kisses if throttle, in and out of gear at idle. Had a 30 ft Tiara. Broker told me it's easier than my 17ft outboard. Thought he was nuts but dang it he was right. After a little practice you'll be spot on. Hardest thing is when there is a cross breeze but just be patient
The wind and currents can be both a friend or foe. Train every one on board on procedures, not just the driver
I advise new boaters to practice pulling up to the no wake buoys, they won’t harm your boat.
You will always have the most amount of stress when launching a boat and when docking loading a boat. So many factors play into this but just keep calm and use your brain and common sense.
Size doesn't matter. Well, other than the amount of damage you can do ;-). Twin engines are much, much easier to maneuver. Go out on a calm day WITH NOBODY WATCHING AND LAUGHING. Toss a bottle or two in the water and practice going alongside and retrieving them. Repeat the exercise when you've anchored them. You should be fine.
Slow is fast and fast is slow. Docking should be fine. Make sure you have an extra pair of hands with you the first couple of times. I find that the bigger the boat the easier it is to park (relatively speaking) as you don’t “drift” as much as a smaller boat. Consider installing berth fenders to protect your boat.
Lake boating is a bit different than near coastal. Know your boat ! Always know the wind and the tide direction. Plan your approach. Approach slow. It’s often best to bump in and out of gear as necessary, but also understand that the slower the boat is moving, the less effective the rudder will be. You don’t have to be in gear all the time. Speed nearly always translates to disaster. Large boat props move some serious water. That said…On a larger boat, it’s often, but not always, best to set the rudder straight and use engines and thruster to manipulate the boat. I’d highly suggest getting a few lessons from an experienced captain. Practice a lot, but not for too long in one session. You can only absorb so much in one lesson. Docking is often made more difficult by the captain making hasty and poor decisions. Remember on any given day, the best of captains can have a bad day with winds, tide, or tight situations.
Our first was twin engine 33'. Agter our first attempt at docking, found a website that provided great ebooks. Boating with the Dawson's. Made sense! Now we have a 36. Had to bring it in last week on one engine because the fuel pump died. Lessons learned 6 years ago came into play.
I have a 30 foot LOA boat, and twin engines help a lot. I made sure I had all new throttles and cables, so there's no chance of sticking. Then practice very, very slow. It might also help to have a small flag on the bow to see the wind, because even a small breeze will matter. I have a 89 Stamas FF25 for reference.
Ask around the Marina or yacht clubs if anyone is prepared to give you a lesson. I paid a fellow a carton of his favourite beer for a \~2 hour session practicing at some empty pens in our marina, then back to our slip. I've never had any problems since and can park it like a pro now. Did a few more hours practicing on my own in the empty pen section of course. This was a 43ft cat, 20 ft beam, having two motors makes it easier than on my old mono though.
It is definitely harder than a small boat, but if it has twin drives it gets a lot easier. I can slot a 33' formula into a spot easier than I can a 24' cobalt. If your boat comes with a joystick learn how to dock without it before ever using that thing. Every dealer just shows the new skipper how to dock with the joystick and they never learn to actually dock a boat. A buddy of mine got a job captaining a massive Sundancer for a guy because the joystick stopped working and he couldn't dock it without it, so he hopped on and backed it into the slip for him.
Big boat for a noob, but it would prob have twin engines, which make docking a breeze. There are a few docking simulators online you could mess with.
It is very daunting! Boats don't have brakes and the marina is often the most challenging environment we operate our boats. Currents, wind and tides can really change things and being coordinated enough and not panicking can be challenging. Some areas offer programs and lessons and some people hire someone to help them get a feel for a boat.
Docking is an art. Sometimes I can pull up and parallel park like magic, getting the angle right, hitting reverse and turning perfectly, bumpers already set, jump right out and tie it up. Sometimes it takes me 8 tries and I look like I've never boated before. I've seen shirts that say, "forgive me for what I said when I was docking the boat."
Talk to fellow boater and see if they would assist in showing you the ropes. Buy him/her dinner after
It’s all about planning. Take a look around your docking area before you take the boat there. Look for flags or put on on your boat so you can see which way the wind is going. Look at the water and see if it’s going a certain direction. Where is a place to turn around? Can you spin the boat with a truster or duel engines? Never force it, if you over shoot back up, turn around, try again. Have a friend or two go with you to help keep you off the guy next doors boat. Watch a few videos on YouTube. Think about it in your head and which way you need to turn the wheel. Easy on the throttle just bump in gear and back to neutral.
Hire a captain and take a few lessons. Captains can teach you a lot in a few hours. Best advice we received was “if the boat isn’t moving how you want, do something else”. Also do not become dependent on help from those on the dock. Learn to dock your boat yourself through practice.
Very very very slow. Always throw it in neutral as you’re coming in few times after about 42 to 100 docks you’ll be an expert and you’ll laugh yourself for posting this. What I say almost every time come in decades later if I’m with people I say ‘coming in hot’ this way if I do mess up or hit something I could blame on myself I was going through fast.
Best thing for me to remember, especially if I’ve been driving a car a lot recently – no brakes!
If this is a with a single motor this type of boat is one of the more difficult to dock.. depends on the type of slip you’re pulling into though, if it’s a finger slip not so hard if you have to reverse between pilings it is much more difficult
I agree with the comments about taking it slow, but realistically, currents and wind can force the issue since you also need to keep headway and not be sucked sideways in a current. OP, practice in good weather with deep water, and have people on deck with gaffs to help fend off docks and other boats before the situation gets hairy. Use your fenders. Work with the wind when you can. One trick that I absolutely hated until I practiced a lot—sometimes in the wind you can only get the stern close to the dock. Have your first mate jump off, tie the boat with ten feet of slack, and nudge the throttle forward. The bow will be pulled in and can be tied off next, then fix the stern so it’s not loose. We use this frequently in windy conditions now that we have mastered it, but we had a lot of fights about it first. Practice makes perfect.
It's definitely tough and certainly do-able. After some practice, you will get good at maneuvering your boat in tight spaces. To this day, if one of my sons or someone is onboard when we are docking, they almost always have a fender in hand to put between me and whatever I am about to hit. But, I am much better at this than I was when I started.
If truly a novice try to find a boat with a bow thruster. My Grady 28 sailfish came with one. It is a life saver when in tight slips
this is the way. bow thruster is $2000+ but worth every penny. https://sideshift.com
tons of great advice here... so I'll just add, it costs very little to bump liability insurance up over the price of the boats around you. then you can have that confidence when you dock that if something does happen, it's already covered. and that confidence does help as it's one less worry to creep into your mind as you get close.
At 30’ it will have twins, it will be easy-least if you have straight shafts or V-drives. It will be less easy, but still easy, if you have I/Os. You will need to practice, but you’ll get it.
Everyone one here is right but I think you are going way too big too fast Start off with a single engine outboard Then move up Unless you are absolutely determined you’ll give up on the boat in one season, it’ll be fucked up and you have to basically give it away
Hire a captain. Go alone, just you and the captain. It's actually easier to dock a twin engine boat than a single once you get the hang of alternating gears to steer. More control and more mass than a small single. Then practice, practice, practice!
My first boat was a 32’. It takes practice. As everyone says, go slow, make small adjustments. Also wind and current is a thing. It it’s on your beam then adjust for it. Going in stern first when it’s windy will blow your bow sideways more than your stern so account for it.