Docking alongside

What the boat is doing

Momentum

Five tonnes keeps going. From 5 kn with the engine in neutral she carries her way for more than two boat lengths — take the speed off early, then use short bursts.

Steerage

The rudder only works with water flowing past it. Stopped, the helm does nothing — unless you give a burst ahead, which blows prop wash over the rudder and kicks the stern across.

Prop walk

A right-handed propeller going astern pulls the stern to port. Plan for it: come alongside port-side-to and a burst astern tucks the stern in as it stops you.

Pivot point

Going ahead she turns about a point roughly a third of her length from the bow, so the stern swings out wide. Going astern the pivot moves aft. The magenta dot shows it.

Windage

With little way on, the bow blows off downwind first. In an offshore breeze come in steeper and get the bow line on before she stops.

Tide

The stream carries you over the ground whatever you do. Point into it (stem the tide) and it becomes a brake you can use to creep sideways onto the berth.

Bow thruster

Strong at rest, weak at 2 kn, almost useless above 3 kn — the water rushing past the tunnel kills it.

Approach slowly, use the wind and tide, and stop parallel.