Quicksilver

Agree I've normally used some wheel input only b/c a lot of areas here can have a b!tch of a current especially if close to an inlet. , and when the wind kicks in too....doesn't help

RobertV

Agree with what everyone have said thus far.
Things that I did that helped me:
Go to a calm spot, no gas, no steering (centered) and only shift one gear lever forward for a brief second then back to neutral - watch how the boat reacts. Try reverse on the same motor - watch how the boat reacts. Keep experimenting until you know how your boat will react to different shifting combos. It only takes a little time to get it down and remember - go slow. I found it useful to drop an empty plastic gallon jug in the water and attempt to move the boat to it from different directions - you know, use the jug as the dock - no damage by hitting it.
I made mistakes in the beginning by rushing, using the throttles, staying in gear too long and starting too close to the dock when attempting to dock. Always stop in the water before you attempt to dock - watch what the boat does - is the wind making it move, is the current making it move?
Go slow - remain calm - you will be fine!

302Sport

everybody is giving good advice and dont let the people on your boat start yelling commands at you because the only thing it will do is make you feel rushed when you have 5 different people all telling you to do something different....also if you start to feel uncomfortable or start to loose it because of wind, current, etc., just get out of the tight area, get your bearings straight and start over again, dont push it...........

baywatch

Lots of good input.

One thing that I always remember is to check the center cap on my steering wheel (If the "Dana" symbol on my wheel is upright I know I am going straight). Often times at loto some steering is required to navigate into the particular section of dock you are parking at and it is easy to think that you have the drives straight when they are not. Like Omerta said, make sure you are neutral on drives and tabs.

The other thing that really helps is always park into the wind (or current). Use your surroundings to determine wind before you get in a tight spot and realize it the hard way. For instance, when pulling into Franky and Louies there is a Flag/ Flag Pole that will show what is happening with the wind before you ever get yourself into the tight spots and as a result you can plan accordingly.

In the end seat time and practice are worth their weight in Gold. Early season go to places that are closed and practice. When you practice act like there is a boat in the well next to you (if it is a double). Pull up, put fenders out and actually park. As you feel more confident go for the tougher slips.

Most important thing is never get over confident!!!! The minute you do you are guaranteed to do something stupid (trust me).

el indio

dont know that much about it but in reverse tabs up as well.

redbud35

What JT said. Plus make sure your drives are straight when you approach a dock. I do this pretty far out and steer with the sticks.

lotojim

SWEET,SWEET,SWEET. I love the colors. For sure, we will hook up.

Keytime

Ditto on that, Jason. My 28's props spin in and, while out practicing, that boat just didn't seem to do what I expected of it with different inputs. I've had friends tell me that, after changing their props from out to in, they had to use some wheel input to dock. I'm continually trying to improve and not use wheel, but it can be tough at times.

Some great info on this thread.

Another rule: don't come in any faster than you're willing to hit something. Goes hand-in-hand with the slow-and-smooth comments given so far.

lotojim

Thank you to everyone for the advice. It sounds like I need to practice, keep the drives straight, don't use throttles and slow down. Sound good. I'll do it. Maybe we could make it a spectators sport out of it. People could sit at Dog Days and watch how long it takes me to dock. Hell, I'll come up with you and watch how long it takes my wife to dock it. Thank you!