Docking Practice

On a warm Sunday in August, I went up to MSA for a 2-hour private lesson in docking practice. That was excellent. JT (the instructor who did my check-out ride) was terrific again and had lots of tips and tricks to show me. His main pointers were to give it more gas and start turning earlier on the way into a slip. Backing out of a slip was where I learned the most:

• Calculate the neutral position of the wheel every time you start up.
• Check the water to determine the direction of prop walk, not just the movement of the boat.
• Start out with the wheel at 4:00 to overcome prop walk. Don't wait until you start moving to turn the wheel.
• Get your dock crew to straighten out the boat and keep it straight as you back out of the slip.
• Start your turn when the mast is at the end of the finger.
• Turn hard when the bow is at the end of the finger.
• Pop it into neutral and coast backward as far as you can.
• Turn the wheel in the other direction before you shift into forward gear.

I also did lots and lots of back and fills, which was invaluable. Prop walk is now my friend!