As a boater, you’re familiar with the phrase, “hit something cheap” often in reference to docking. Docking, like parking a car, is the four Ps: planning, preparation, practice and patience.

Planning

Plan each docking experience beforehand. What waves, wind, current and conditions do you expect along with other boats and obstructions? On which side are you docking? If plan A fails, what is your plan B?

Preparation

Deck crew and captain should put on life jackets. Exchange ideas and communicate the docking plan with the crew before going to the dock.

Before trying to dock, have lines and fenders ready for all situations. Lines cleated under the safety rails on bow, mid-ship and stern on both the port and starboard. Adjust the port and starboard fender height. Have a couple of fenders loose at ready for a crewmember in an emergency.

Never ever use any body part as a fender. Broken fiberglass is repairable. Broken bones are painful and possibly debilitating.

Practice

A captain needs to know the crew’s capabilities plus that of the boat, hence practice, training and communication. My first mate, Terre, says a captain must be consistent so the crew can anticipate the captain’s next move unless told otherwise.

Since about 80 percent of a boat is above the water line, wind affects the boat more than current. Always approach docking with the bow pointed into the wind or current.

Approach a dock slowly with just enough power to control the boat. Get a line on or around something or to someone. Never try controlling a moving boat by just holding or pulling a line. Wrap it on a post or cleat. The crew or person on the dock can take in or let out a wrapped line to hold and control the boat. Again, never use any part of your body as a fender.

At a former marina, we’d watch what we termed piling huggers. Usually first mates that invariable get chest splinters hugging pilings waiting for someone to locate and attach a line. So, do you want applause or laughter when docking? Planning, preparation and practice!

Train the first mate and other crew to coil a line properly, as well as to throw a line correctly. Hand over arm winding will always tangle and knot. An underhand toss of a coiled line will smoothly play out. Practice “catching” a cleat or piling with a line. Would you turn your car over to your 16-year-old without driving practice? Didn’t think so.

The captain and first mate should also learn how to use of a spring line, preferably mid-ship, for docking and pivoting. With a mid-ship spring line on a cleat or piling, moving the boat forward or reverse will bring it into a dock. To adjust distance, the wrapped spring line may be taken in or let out yet the boat is never out of control.

Additionally, many of us leave lines on our dock to secure our boat. However, my first mate, Terre, is a stickler for this: do not use these lines in docking. She and I watched many a first mate miss picking up a dock line from the dock or piling. The boat then ran into the dock damaging the boat and dock plus injuring the first mate.

Communication is critical in practice and execution. Communicate the plan. Communication between a captain and crew must be clear, says first mate, Terre. “What’s that?” is not clear. “On the Port, is that a submerged piling” is crystal clear. Also, verbal communication is not always practical, so have previously agreed upon hand signals or invest in hands free, headset and mic. A captain depends on the crew to follow instructions. Crew and captain must work in sync and with mutual trust, says first mate, Terre.

Last, do not turn off the engines until the boat is secured to the dock.

Patience

Above all, do not panic. No one can force a bad boating situation into a good outcome. Back up, start over, follow the plan and apply the experience learned in practice. As captain, have confidence in the planning and preparation along with your ability and that of the crew. Don’t yell, says first mate, Terre!

However, when unavoidable, hit something cheap then get a line on it to control the boat.

The Pamlico Sail & Power Squadron will be presenting a course on seamanship beginning Sept. 7. This course provides a foundation of knowledge and skill development in boat handling including docking and line handling. To register or to learn more, email pspsed@gmail.com or contact Kelly at 252-561-6995.

Biff Matthews is a member of the Pamlico Sail & Power Squadron.