Docking: Let Wind and Current Do the Work

Recall from earlier cards that a boat only steers when water flows past the rudder — at low speed you have little control. So the golden rule of docking is: approach slowly, but never so slowly you lose steerage. Before you commit, stop and read the two forces that will push your hull around: wind and current. Watch flags, ripples, moored boats, and mooring lines to judge their direction and strength.

The key move is to approach into the stronger force so it acts as a natural brake. If a 2-knot current is running down the dock, point your bow into it: you can idle forward against it and hang almost stationary beside the pier, giving crew time to step off with lines. Come in with that current and you arrive like a runaway shopping trolley — throttling back does nothing because the water is still shoving you forward.

When wind and current disagree, judge which one is winning by watching how nearby moored boats lie — they align with the dominant force. A useful trick is the angled approach: aim the bow at the dock at roughly 20–45°, then a touch of reverse both stops you and, thanks to prop walk from an earlier card, often tucks the stern in.

Leaving is the same logic reversed: let the dominant force carry you off the dock. Spring off the bow or stern, or let the wind blow the bow out before you power away — so you exit into open water, not back onto the pier.