The yard
Nine drills, in the order people usually learn them.
Each drill is a small harbour drawn to scale for the boat you pick. Bring the boat in, hold it still for two seconds, and the clock stops. Drills 1-3 are free in calm water with the 20 ft outboard.
Straight in
Turn off the fairway and lay the boat bow-first in a slip.
Practises: Turning in a fairway, slow approach, stopping with a bump astern.
Alongside
Bring the boat parallel and close to a face dock.
Practises: Shallow approach angle, speed control, parking the stern.
Leave the slip
Back out of a slip, turn in the fairway and leave bow first.
Practises: Backing straight, using prop walk, turning short.
Back into a slip
Line up and back the boat stern-first into a slip.
Practises: Steering astern, small corrections, the pivot point.
Between two boats
Side-tie in a gap of 1.7 boat lengths, with a light breeze.
Practises: Getting the stern in, working in a gap.
Fairway turn
Turn around in a dead-end fairway and leave the way you came.
Practises: Back-and-fill turns, prop walk on purpose.
Pick up a mooring
Stop with the bow at a mooring buoy, heading into a 10-knot wind.
Practises: Approaching into the wind, judging the stop.
Crosswind slip
The straight-in slip with a 12-knot wind blowing across it.
Practises: Allowing for drift, keeping speed for steerage.
Fuel dock in a current
Come alongside the pumps with a one-knot current running.
Practises: Approaching into the current, ferry angle.