During docking, what action should be taken after you are almost into position?

During docking, what action should be taken after you are almost into position?

• A. Put the motor in reverse and give it only enough throttle to reverse the direction away from striking the dock.
• B. Put the boat in neutral and turn the motor off.
• C. Put the boat in forward gear toward the dock.
• D. Jolt the boat to seat the bumper

Answer: (A)

The important idea here is controlling your boat’s momentum as you approach the dock so you don’t strike it. When you’re almost in position, using a small amount of reverse thrust to arrest forward motion lets you back away from the dock just enough to prevent a hard impact and gives you precise control to settle the boat gently into place. It lets you fine-tune alignment and bumper contact without losing control or stalling the approach. Coasting with the engine off or leaving the boat in forward gear toward the dock removes that control and increases the risk of being pushed into the dock by wind, current, or waves. Jolting the boat to seat the bumper is unsafe and unnecessary when smooth, gradual control is available.

The important idea here is controlling your boat’s momentum as you approach the dock so you don’t strike it. When you’re almost in position, using a small amount of reverse thrust to arrest forward motion lets you back away from the dock just enough to prevent a hard impact and gives you precise control to settle the boat gently into place. It lets you fine-tune alignment and bumper contact without losing control or stalling the approach.

Coasting with the engine off or leaving the boat in forward gear toward the dock removes that control and increases the risk of being pushed into the dock by wind, current, or waves. Jolting the boat to seat the bumper is unsafe and unnecessary when smooth, gradual control is available.