Yard notes
Handling a boat at low speed, in plain words.
Short notes that go with the drills. Where a line is quoted, the source is named under it. These notes are general; your own boat's manual and a hands-on instructor come first.
Speed
"Never approach a dock faster than you are willing to hit it."Mercury Marine, "Single-Engine Docking for Outboards", published on BoatTest.com, 13 December 2023
In the yard, idle ahead in gear settles near 2 knots, which is already quick next to a dock. The drills are built to be done in bursts: a second or two in gear, then neutral while the boat coasts.
"Docking consists of a series of controlled coasts in neutral" with short bursts of power in gear between them.Kevin Falvey, "How to Dock a Boat", Boating Magazine, updated 11 August 2014
Steering needs water moving past the drive
An outboard or sterndrive steers by pointing its thrust; an inboard steers with a rudder that only works with water flowing over it. Coasting in neutral, the wheel does very little. In the yard, as on the water, put the wheel over first and then give a short burst in gear.
"Turn the steering wheel hard toward the dock to swing the prop in that direction." Then "quickly bump the boat into and out of reverse."Mercury Marine via BoatTest.com, 2023 (the outboard method for bringing the stern in)
Prop walk
A propeller pushes the stern sideways as well as fore and aft, most of all in reverse. In the yard every single-engine boat has a right-hand propeller, so going astern the stern walks to port. The 30 ft inboard walks the most. Twins have props that turn opposite ways, so their walk mostly cancels.
On prop torque: "It's not a defect — it's something you can lean on!"Boating Magazine, 2014
Wind and current
"Try to approach with the bow pointed into the wind or current."Mercury Marine via BoatTest.com, 2023
Into the current, the boat can hold still over the ground with a little power ahead, and every burst is a brake. Down-current, the boat keeps going after you stop the engine. Drill 9 is built around this.
"The trick is to come in at a shallow angle and basically do a 'virtual docking' parallel to the dock."Boating Magazine, 2014, on docking in wind
Angle
"Usually, the more parallel you can get, the easier it is."Mercury Marine via BoatTest.com, 2023
Practise where it is safe
"Practice on an empty dock so you know what to expect."Boating Magazine, 2014
Lines and fenders are not part of the yard. On a real boat, have them ready before you come in. (Our own note, not from the sources below.)
Sources
- Mercury Marine, "Single-Engine Docking for Outboards", BoatTest.com, 13 Dec 2023: boattest.com/article/single-engine-docking-outboards
- Kevin Falvey, "How to Dock a Boat", Boating Magazine, updated 11 Aug 2014: boatingmag.com/how-to-dock-boat/
Quotes are short extracts for study; Helmyard is not connected with either publisher or with Mercury Marine.