Some stories are worth repeating.
Not because they’re dramatic…
But because they happen over and over again when docking a boat.
This was one of those days.
The Scene
On this busy Saturday afternoon at the marina, boats were coming and going. A great opportunity to observe and learn what works and what doesn’t. Some were docking the boat like pros—most were not.
Brenda and I watched as one couple approached their slip in their single-engine cruiser. We didn’t know them, so we’ll use the names Bill and Wilma.
At first glance—nothing unusual. But then we saw Wilma.
She was sitting on the very front of the bow with her legs tucked under the bow rail, her feet hanging down over the sheerline. One hand gripping the rail, the other holding the bow line.
She was locked in this position with no mobility and no escape or control.
And then it started to go wrong.
The Docking Attempt
As Bill backed into the slip, the boat didn’t line up. The port aft corner scraped along his dock.
At the same time, the opposite side of the boat began drifting toward their slip neighbor’s transom, where the neighbor’s cruiser was tied bow first into his half of the double slip.
Now Bill’s boat was pinched between two points.
And poor Wilma was still stuck on the bow. Unable to move. Unable to help. Completely exposed.
In that moment, she wasn’t part of the solution. She was in danger of having her legs squashed.
What Went Wrong (And Why It Matters)
Her Position
Bill placed her where she could not react.
- Trapped under the bow rail
- No ability to step away
- No ability to adjust
- No way to help correct the situation
If the bow had come in harder against the neighbor’s cruiser, this could have turned into a serious leg injury in seconds.
The Captain’s Decision
The bigger issue started at the helm, when Bill:
- Directed Wilma to the bow
- Entered too slowly
- Came in at too steep an angle
- Lost control of the approach
When docking starts to go wrong, time and positioning are everything.
And they had neither.
What Should Have Happened
This is where docking becomes simple—when done correctly.
Her Role (The Right Way)
Wilma should have positioned herself at the aft cockpit corner closest to the dock where she would be safe from being squashed or falling overboard.
Ready. Balanced. Mobile.
With the stern line already secured to the boat cleat, she could easily deploy the line following Doug Dawson’s Docking Lessons.
That one move changes everything.
His Role (The Right Way)
Bill should have:
- Backed in with more confidence and control
- Positioned the boat properly
- Then used the engine to pull against her stern line
That tension would have:
- Stopped the boat from drifting any direction
- Pulled the bow toward their dock
- Kept the boat off the neighbour’s transom
- Turned chaos into control
The Real Lesson
Docking problems are rarely about the boat.
They’re about:
- Positioning
- Timing
- Communication
- And understanding what actually works
Most importantly…
No one should ever be placed where they can’t move.
If your crew is trapped, they can’t help you.
And worse—they can get seriously hurt.
Why This Keeps Happening
Because many boaters are still relying on:
- Instinct instead of technique—using their “car brain” to dock their boat.
- Hope instead of a plan
- Habits of others that look right but don’t work
We see it every weekend.
And that’s exactly why we keep sharing these.
Simplify Your Docking
Docking doesn’t have to be stressful—or dangerous.
When you understand Dawson’s techniques, everything changes.
Every approach, every wind condition, and every docking situation, becomes manageable because each is covered in the Docking Lesson in full step-by-step detail with pictures and drawings.
Learn the System That Works
Doug Dawson’s proven docking lessons walk you through:
- Real-world docking scenarios
- Wind and current control
- Step-by-step positioning
- How to make stress-free docking repeatable every time
For a little more than the price of a couple of burgers and sodas, you can put JOY in your Docking.
Power Boat Docking Lessons:
Sailboat Docking Lessons:
Because docking isn’t about luck.
It’s about:
- Learning from a pro
- Knowing what to do and why, before you need to know it.
- Knowing what NOT to do and why.
