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How to Dock in the Wind

Keys to safely docking a boat in windy conditions.
How to Dock in the Wind

The top drawing illustrates docking into the wind. The three keys are to use a steep approach — minimizing the boat’s windage — and to have practiced so that you know how much rpm to use so that you come in fast enough to get close to the dock instead of being blown off it, and using the wind to help slow the boat.

The lower illustration shows how to use the wind to gently land on a downwind dock. Doing so is gentler than powering in, and also relies upon a captain who has practiced enough to gauge how fast a drift results from any given wind speed. Pre-deploy fenders and lines.

For more docking tips, check out: How to Use Prop Torque, Using “Controlled Coasting” to Dock

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