Docking in Wind and Current: Read the Conditions, Use Spring Lines and Know When to Go Around

Well before you arrive:

• Hang fenders on the side you expect to dock, and have spares ready for the other side in case plans change. Our dock-lines guide covers sizes and heights.
• Cleat one end of the bow, stern and spring lines aboard, and lead each line outside the rails and lifelines so it can be handed or tossed straight to the dock.
• Coil the free end so it won't tangle, and keep all lines inside the boat and out of the water, away from the propeller.
• Slow to idle well before the fairway.

Don't assume guests know what you want. Discover Boating's docking guide reminds skippers to be specific. Tell each person:

• Who has which line and which cleat on the dock it goes to
• When to step off: only when the boat is stopped and touching, onto a dry spot, never a leap
• Hands and feet inside the boat; fenders, not people, stop the boat
• Everyone else sits down and stays out of the way

Why this matters: the BoatUS Foundation's docking lesson points out that passengers tend to drift to the rail and drape arms, legs and fingers over the side as the boat nears the dock. It describes a woman who lost a finger when a passing boat's wake pushed her boat into a piling and pinched her hand. It also warns against sending an inexperienced crew member to stand on the bow and jump for the dock: bring the boat alongside so they can step off. A gust or a wake can swing the boat in a second, so make "hands inside" part of every docking, not just windy ones.

If you dock alone, rig a midship line you can drop over a dock cleat or piling from the helm area. Our solo-launch guide covers short-handed tricks.

Discover Boating's tip: stop well clear of the dock and anything solid, and just watch for a minute or two. Which way does the bow fall off? How fast does the boat slide sideways? Read the clues:

• Wind: flags, treetops, other boats swinging on moorings, ripples on the water
• Current: water piling up against pilings, floating debris moving past fixed objects, and dock lines in the water being pulled in one direction

Watch out for lines that hang from piers or pilings and disappear into the water; current can stretch them across your path and foul the propeller.

The easiest approach is into the wind or current, because it acts like a brake. Discover Boating says it's worth going past your slip and turning around to approach from the other direction if that puts the bow into the wind or current.

• Wind or current on the bow: you can come in at a steeper angle and turn parallel at the last moment.
• Wind or current from astern: the hardest case. Come in more parallel, slower, and use short bursts of reverse to control speed.
• Crosswind or cross-current: aim the bow upwind (or up-current) of where you want to end up and let the boat get pushed down into place.
• Pontoons: Discover Boating's pontoon docking guide notes their tall profile makes them very sensitive to crosswinds. It suggests a reconnaissance pass first (approach, which side, where the cleats are, dock height for the fenders), standing at the helm for a better view, opening the front gate to judge distance, aiming a little upwind, and shifting into reverse to take off speed when you're about 10 feet away.

Make small corrections with short shifts between forward, neutral and reverse. Discover Boating warns against using the throttle to steer in tight spaces; that's how you end up going too fast. Remember:

• You need some way on to steer. Out-drives and outboards steer by pointing thrust; in neutral you have little or no steering.
• Reverse is your brake, but most single-prop boats "walk" the stern to one side in reverse (to port with a typical right-hand prop). Know which way yours goes.
• As the boat slows, wind and current take over. Have your next move planned before you stop.

Discover Boating's simple method: bring the boat parallel to the dock, about two feet off, and stop. The wind will push you in. Make sure the fenders are low enough and spread along the side, then secure bow, stern and spring lines. Come in gently; a strong onshore wind can slam the boat against the dock, so keep it slow and let the fenders touch first.

This is where boats get away from you. Discover Boating's method for an outboard or sterndrive:

1. Approach at a 20 to 30 degree angle, a bit faster than in calm air so the wind doesn't push the bow off.
2. Get the bow line (or a forward spring) onto a cleat first.
3. Turn the motor toward the dock and shift briefly into reverse. That pulls the stern in.
4. Secure the stern line.

If the stern won't come in, the next step does the work for you.

A spring line plus gentle engine power can hold the boat against the dock in a stiff breeze. Boating Magazine describes it this way: with a line from the dock tied to the boat's spring cleat, power gently forward with the wheel turned away from the dock, and the boat is held against it.

• Outboard or sterndrive: the line from the midship or forward cleat runs aft to a dock cleat (an "after bow spring"). Idle forward, wheel turned away from the dock: the stern swings in and the boat pins itself alongside.
• Inboard with a rudder: Discover Boating describes the same idea: after bow spring on, engine idling forward, wheel turned away from the dock. The rudder pushes the stern in.
• Hold it there at idle while the crew sets the other lines. Then shift to neutral.

The same trick works in reverse for leaving a dock when the wind is pinning you on (step 12).

Twins give you more control than a single engine. Boating Magazine explains counterthrust: one engine forward and one in reverse spins the boat almost in place, about a boat length. Keep the wheel (rudders or drives) centered and steer with the shifters:

• Port forward, starboard reverse: the bow turns to starboard. Swap them to turn the other way.
• Both in reverse to back into a slip, bumping each engine in and out of gear to correct.
• Both forward briefly to stop sternway before tying up.

Boating Magazine notes that pivoting is less effective with twin outboards because they're mounted close together. Discover Boating adds that with practice some twin-screw boats can even be walked sideways against the wind. If one engine idles faster than the other, docking gets harder; our twin-engine sync guide covers that. Joystick systems make this easier, but learn the manual method too in case the joystick fails.

Line up early, a few feet upwind or up-current of the slip, and let the wind or current carry you into alignment as you back in. Use short bursts of reverse to keep momentum low. Have a crew member at the stern with a stern line and a boat hook, not a foot. In a strong crosswind, get a windward line on first so the boat can't be blown onto the boat next door.

If it isn't working, back out and go around. Boating Magazine puts it simply: abort and restart away from the dock; getting it right on the third try is better than damaging your boat or someone else's. Signs it's time to go around:

• You're too fast or at the wrong angle
• The bow or stern is being blown toward another boat
• A line is in the water near the propeller
• Someone is about to jump or fend off by hand

Back away into open water, re-check the drift, and try a different approach, maybe from the other direction or with a different first line.

• Wind or current pushing you off: cast off, pull in fenders, let the boat drift clear, then idle away. Discover Boating says to make sure you've been pushed well clear before shifting into forward.
• Wind or current pinning you on: Discover Boating's method: cast off everything except an after bow spring, add a fender at the bow, turn the motor or rudder to push the stern away from the dock, and idle forward slowly. The stern swings out. When it's clear, cast off the spring and back away, then idle forward.

Stow lines and fenders once you're clear so nobody trips.