We had a husband and wife team as students a few months ago. They owned a pontoon boat “up north” which they kept on a lake. Their slip had a dock on one side with an entrance piling defining the other side. The dock was on the upstream side of the prevailing current and wind making docking without hitting the boat in the adjoining slip challenging. They had come to us for guidance and training specifically related to consistently and safely docking their boat in their slip.
Step one in any boating situation is to think about it. After discussing their situation with them, we went to the white board to help us think about an approach to their docking challenge. As we talked about it and drew on the board, an approach to get their boat safely and consistently to the dock became apparent. We decided that by attaching a dock line to the forward cleat on the dock and leaving the bitter end of the dock line on the end of the dock from which they entered the slip, they would be able to pick up the pre-placed dock line as the boat approached it.
Once in hand, the retrieved dock line could be brought into the boat as the boat moved forward in the slip, keeping the bow close to the dock on the windward side of the boat. The engine could be directed toward the dock and bumped in and out of gear to continue to move the boat forward slowly while keeping the stern close to the dock. Once the boat was in the slip, the bow and stern lines could be secured, and fenders could be deployed as necessary.
Docking complete, problem solved. We did not even need to get into a boat to solve the problem, but we did anyway to practice the procedure.
Boat Like a PRO
A little experience combined with the right kind of instruction can give you the confidence you need to safely and confidently entertain family and friends while enjoying all that Florida’s unique environment has to offer.
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