How To Dock Your Boat In The Wind (By Yourself)

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Have you ever been embarrassed at a boat ramp because you had to take several tries to get your boat secured to the dock?
Nobody wants that to be them, and to save you the embarrassment of having to go through it, I put together this simple video to teach you how to dock your boat by yourself, even if the wind is blowing and the current is ripping.
You'll learn:
- How to dock your boat on the upwind side of the dock (this side is the easier side)
- How to dock your boat on the downwind side of the dock (this side is much harder)
- A simple trick to keep your boat from floating away as you try to secure it to the dock
These tips are simple, but if you don't know them, you don't know them, and it'll make docking your boat much more difficult.
Have any questions about docking your boat?
Let me know down in the comments.

[@Saltstrong]

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[@cpope09]

Best advice was to stay calm. This was a great instructional video for any level boater.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment!

[@rob2388]

Here in Miami we have Black Point Marina.. and most times you need to dock on the hard side just like the video with wind and strong current (people literally sit on the side to watch the docking fails) Most times the biggest mistakes are 1. forgetting to set up the lines for approach, and 2. Thinking whoever you have on board has knowledge on docking so you assume they know what to do. There’s a KZbin channel called the Chit Show on this marina… Thanks for the video, very instructional!

[@thebert010]

As a newer boater, I gotta say that you guys' videos have been invaluable for me. This video also reinforces the best advice anyone has given me about docking: "don't approach the dock any faster than you want to hit the dock!"

[@dwayneroberts6616]

I bought a older boat and I am getting ready to do my first gel coat repair. I figure its a good thing to learn so I can fix the damage I might do learning 😂. Videos help you prepare but until you get out there and practice it takes a while to get comfortable. Believe it or not it's when you get comfortable that accidents happen 😂.

[@crystalreimer4851]

This is helpful. Our slip is even more tricky and advice would be appreciated. We approach with the wind behind us, and have to dock on the hard side. When turning left into the slip, the momentum and wind, takes the back end away from the dock.

[@mulletman49]

Awesome video. Simple to the point and right on target. Thank you!

[@brianjamison4520]

One of the best instructional videos I've seen. Simple and effective. Good job!

[@Saltstrong]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MonchoDeLaMota]

Good refresher. I watch this from time to time.

[@Saltstrong]

Glad we could help!

[@ayechapin1]

Just picked up my first boat ever... so I'm watching and learning... so I dont look like a fool my first time out 😄

[@chuckwright8889]

I often solo my boats to fuel them for family outings later...and interesting I had intuitively done the double rope trick and that's a must. Also..if you have a number two position cleat midships...you can somewhat control the boat with one line tied to the center cleat.

[@hackattack7811]

You made that look so easy. Nice job.

[@guitarboos48]

Good job once I move down there next year and buy a boat iam calling on you Thanks for tip you made it look easy

[@mikeknottscreek8183]

I really like the challenge of docking or putting the boat on the trailer in adverse conditions. BTW- beautiful boat you have!

[@Saltstrong]

Thank you!!

[@robsimpson3771]

Great video tutorial! I see this issue about as much as launching and trailering the vessel 🎣🌴

[@en8718]

thats a wicked boat ... love the tower

[@mickmouse92]

I never thought about two long lines. Great idea!

[@Saltstrong]

Glad you liked it!!

[@leroymorris6036]

Pretty slick thanks for the good advice.

[@allans7281]

Love the “imagined doc” 5 feet over! Using the boats energy against it!

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks Allan!

[@mikemalone4729]

Great video. Thank you

[@alexandergutierrez4448]

Excelente video. Extremely helpful. Thanks for talking the time to make it !!!

[@Saltstrong]

Glad it was helpful!

[@trijam90]

Great Video. I am new to boating and this explained it perfectly. Other advice someone told me was "small correction" with both motor and helm, and nothing wrong with docking slowly, even if things go a little south you do less damage if any at all.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks James! Yes, many benefits to going slow.

[@msk3905]

Yup same here i was told year 2 of boating neutral is your friend…was a game changer for me. Trying to tell my “know it all brother in law” this but he prefers to dock like newbie so i just watch the show and laugh

[@juju1896]

@@msk3905 hope your BIL has good boat insurance especially liability.

[@msk3905]

@@juju1896 yeah right every winter he has had to have “repairs” to his 3 year old boat and i selfishly find it hysterical seeing several people come running when he comes up to fuel dock to help. Say because when you talk to him he talks like a seasoned captain.

[@bigguavaflyfishing]

as someone new to florida looking to buy a boat, can you guys do more boat vids? that was super helpful

[@georgevantuyl5837]

Great demonstration. Please add docking in consideration for tides

[@antmuch9]

Got my first pontoon.. learning also

[@leftyk1968]

So calm ,cool and collect. Aka. show off

[@handendaer]

proper dude expert. back and front... 👍

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks!

[@captainandrewcrabtree6535]

New sled is sweet... I launch from maximo all the time also! 🤙

[@WillemLuntungan]

Thanks

[@PatrickInCayman]

I learned something with the long bow line. Thanks!

[@rudder645]

Excellent video. Thank you. I'm getting ready for a trip down to the FL Keys and want to dock smoothly. I was a bit concerned on currents and wind. My wife is a good first mate but I like to handle it so if something goes wonky, it's on me. Don't be that guy yelling at your girl when you screw up guys! The double line off the bow is money!! Again, thank you.

[@Saltstrong]

No problem! Have a great trip to the Keys!

[@BigMacProDaddy]

nailed it

[@ironsoul80]

this is a great video

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@dano7476]

The docking is great. The tie down - what type of cleat hitch or knot was that? Also, shouldn't your dock line be as long as your boat so you don't have to tie two lines together?

[@CapeAnnImages]

Nice job! I tie off the lines back on the boat cleats not the dock. I simply wrap around the dock cleats then double the lines back on the boat and secure.

[@richardrogowski4921]

Great video, you even talked about pushing it off…. Most would not.

[@nauticgator1828]

Luke, really enjoy your videos at Salt Strong. I am a relatively new boater and have a shallow bay boat similar to your Pathfinder. As you know in Florida the water can start getting choppy quickly as afternoon storms start building and we are heading in. Would really appreciate a video of handling a moderate chop in a bay boat, speed, trim , throttle control upwind/downwind etc.,

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the suggestion, we have shared it with the team!

[@bfytw2125]

Maximo. Good vid.

[@Saltstrong]

Good eye on the location this was filmed

[@bfytw2125]

@@Saltstrong new to the area, new to boating, and new to fishing. Love all the content you guys put out. Many thanks

[@redveiner]

When the Captain says, "sharp turn to get the motor turning over", he actually means sharp turn of the wheel to starboard (clockwise) which turns the engine's propeller facing towards the dock and then bump it into reverse which brings the stern into the dock thus bringing the bow away from the dock. This stern thrust is key to turning the boat parallel to the side of the dock. I just wanted to clear things up...no disrespect to the Captain.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the insight!

[@jasonvelasquez6673]

Would like to see u trailer it in strong winds. Thx

[@andrewwarren4206]

Nice video. Very clear. Gonna try the rope next time. Cheers.

[@abenteuerlemuria7616]

This operations you can only do with calm wind. With 6 Bf you will not have enough power to hold the lines, especially if the boat is a bit bigger! Against the wind - fix the sternline, turn the steering wheel against the peer and use the motor (engage gear only) to hold the boat to the peer! It's much less dangerous than to hold the lines by hand.

[@msk3905]

Only been boating 4 years and i find myself in these docking conditions more often than not except i usually find that the neighboring slip has a boat and have to back boat in. Oddly i like the challenge but is an adventure.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@harleydad1975]

It's only "super easy" after you "mastered" it...after many failed attempts....like walking. I'm a new boater and what I'm doing is educating myself as much as possible, and videos like this help...but we have to get out there. And if you see a rookie...help them out. Why not?

[@harleydad1975]

Another thing...I rather learn alone... sometimes there's too many first mates and not even one Captain lol

[@juju1896]

@@harleydad1975 one of the ways I honor my dad's memory is helping rookies because he taught me as a rookie kid. I was very lucky and don’t take that for granted. I still feel nervous my first time out each season. We all need to help each other. Happy boating😎

[@bill-nj6fc]

you call that windy, LMAO

[@Renegade040]

Great video. Would you go down to the boat ramps in Florida ( I watch Miami Boat Ramps) and show these people how to do it. My only question is, we in Australia generally use one continuous line tied to the bow and then down at the stern, why 2 separate lines, there is always chance these boaters could drop one line, then off goes the stern or bow. Why don't Americans use the one line system.

[@Renegade040]

No reply as usual to my question.

[@juju1896]

Some of us do. It’s easier.

[@danieloneill3398]

Can you tell me what the white bar thing is on the stern of the boat I see a lot of them on American boats. Thanks

[@stephenkohut384]

power pole. it's a shallow water anchoring device.

[@Peter-wc4kr]

The trick is to steer and throttle into the dock. The rope technique is great if you can get that far into the process.

[@AH-mt3zp]

Could you do docking under similar conditions but ending with the boat facing the other way?

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the question! Check out the full blog on our website and you can post your question there for our coaches to answer directly. You can find it here: www.saltstrong.com/articles/dock-boat-by-yourself-in-wind/

[@hgshp]

At 6:07, why do you need to do the sharp turn to get the motor over to port? Were you in neutral?

[@juju1896]

@Shannon C. He turned the engine to port while in neutral and then put it in reverse. That pulls the stern right into the dock like a magnet and stops any forward momentum. Hope that helps.

[@hockeynutt9434]

Can you steer the boat when it is in idle?

[@jacklcma]

It sorta like a sail boat if you moving forward it’s like a keel.

[@theowenssailingdiary5239]

All this structure?? How about a half cab?

[@sportscarclinic]

Not certain, but on the difficult approach side, looks like you must have reversed as the final move to bring the stern around parallel to the dock? I don't think this was really clear in the video.

[@jacklcma]

I was confused too. Watched in slow motion and I believe your right he quickly give it a little reverse throttle when turn towards the dock. I usually mess that one up. He makes it look easy but timing and finesse are needed.

[@redveiner]

Yep, he bumped in reverse a bit to bring the stern into the dock. As the, "Gale Force Twins" say, "Steer before you gear", gives you more precise control when docking. Check them out on KZbin.

[@JollyGreen79]

Great video but why no fenders?

[@Saltstrong]

Great question! Make sure to ask this over in the Community (www.saltstrong.com/) where the coaches spend their time.

[@Jesse-cx4si]

This looks like a calm wind in Oklahoma. Regardless, good instructions!

[@anthonymannarino3376]

How do you load boat without getting wet ?

[@Saltstrong]

Check out more info on that here: www.saltstrong.com/search/?wp_searchable_posts%5Bquery%5D=loading+boat We have a massive library of fishing tips on our website along with a search feature to let you quickly filter down to find help you're looking for, so just go to www.saltstrong.com/ and use the Search feature in the top menu.

[@gymaly1335]

Looking at water, the trees on shore & your hair barely fluttering, I would say this occurred in minimal wind. All good instruction, but I would love to see you do this in 20kt wind.

[@br549times3]

What if you have no dock at the ramp?

[@Saltstrong]

Great question! Make sure to ask this over in the Community (www.saltstrong.com/) where the coaches spend their time.

[@smokster0604]

Slow is your friend at the docks....

[@vnicknguyen]

Beard game strong

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks!

[@stephenmiller5308]

Good video, but on boats there are LINES not ropes. You aren't roping any cattle on a boat.

[@steveco191]

I didn’t see a hard cross wind

[@bobpope1535]

High wind? Due to lack of chop, it appears tide is pushing his boat, not "high" wind. Also, he's operating a "V" hull which reduces the vessel's leeway. I'd like to see him docking like that with a tri-hull pontoon in wind-driven chop, on a rising/falling coastal tide, with a wind vector diagonal to the dock.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the feedback

[@gingerjones6436]

Why not use your Talon.

[@theiceageiscoming.5516]

💪😎🇺🇲

[@ColGadarby]

Hardly windy

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for checking it it out.

[@--RSL--]

Start the boat before pushing off the dock

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@TM-ou9ze]

Ropes on a boat???

[@bloomonlinewithruth]

That's not really going to work with my little jon boat. I would have to secure the bow in the stern cleats pn the dock along with the stern rope too so it wouldn't drift on me. Thanks anyway

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@Thebazzman]

Try doing that when there’s another boat in the dock next to you . . .

[@vincentchiaramonte846]

Very good instruction. How about instead of rope we call it line. And instead of front and back we use bow and stern. Thanks

[@billcrawford4547]

Is Richard your middle name?

[@stevewitzke9424]

As a dad getting back into boating (I did a lot as a kid) I like this as I just bought a 27 ft boat and none of them feel good about helping me return to the dock (ropes or driving). I can show this to them and hopefully they’ll be less intimidated and skilled.

[@ronvavra]

Wind? Let's see how it's done with a real, not pretend wind.

[@JensS94]

Only comment.. you call it strong wind, but where I live, there's much more wind some days. I would say you should never step off the boat before it is attached. Attach it to the dock from the boat, dont leave before you have at least one line on. Same with leaving.. Just get losse form the dock by using the engine, don't push it away when you're not on it yet

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for sharing the tips!

[@REDMAN298]

15 to 20mph winds???? White caps star at 13kts You lie.

[@Saltstrong]

👍

[@ushi120]

Bullshit, White caps start at 13 kts. 🤦 If you see white caps or not depends of many things. - Is this a close and protected waterline (harbour or marina)? Or are you talking about offshore? - How long has the wind been blowing from the same direction? 5 minutes, 2 hours or at least 2 days? etc. 👍 Video, well done!

[@REDMAN298]

TMI for you. Too many lead paints chips ingested?@@ushi120