Do you have trepidation when you approach a slip?
Does your heart beat faster when there is no one to catch a line on the dock?

Most owners can get their sailboat into a slip under normal conditions. This course teaches what to do when conditions are challenging. Get good with that, and a normal docking is easy!

We offer two classes. ASA 118 Advanced coking class and Single-Handed docking
ASA 103 is recommended but not required.

What you learn:
– Specific skills and knowledge to confidently maneuver and dock a boat
– Concepts like the effects of wind, current,
– Prop walk and Prop wash, and their effect on boat manoeuvers
– Different docking situations using fenders, lines, and boat hooks
– Maneuvering under power, precise turns
– Docking communication and preparation

How is it taught?
– One full day from 9am to 5pm
– Classroom lecture to get familiar with terms and concepts
– A lot of time on a 30 feet boat with a wheel
– Each student act as a skipper or as crew
– Multiple docking situations (against the wind, current, floating docks)
– Communication between crew and skipper. Best practice.

What will you be able to do:
– You will be ready to dock a boat under power in almost any circumstances
– Understand forces that apply to a boat when docking
– Become confident in docking situations.

Two classes: Advanced docking and Single-Handed docking

Docking is a very logical and straightforward activity and is a very teachable skill. It is simply a matter of understanding the forces acting on the boat. In just a single day with you, we will help you improve your skills many fold.

ASA 118: Advanced Docking Course

We get heavy into the forces affecting a sailboat under power both while moving and stationary. We review the basic docking techniques briefly, and then get into the advanced stuff like backing up a boat under power, a host of ways to use lines to keep the boat under control no matter what the wind is doing, and stopping a boat in the middle of a marina environment and maintaining control. This is done with a 30′ sailboat with an inboard diesel engine.

Single-Handed Docking Course

Advanced docking (ASA118) is a prerequisite to this course.

Are you saying to yourself, “how is this even possible!?” Good! Because it is, and we’d like to show you how. It is not recommended or possible in every situation and every wind condition, but in most cases, one person can dock single-handed – after taking the course. This lesson assumes you have the skills to smoothly slide the boat alongside a dock, and we will show you what to do next all by your lonesome!

This class is not an ASA certification class. It is a school specific course.

How is the class taught?

Both docking classes last one full day from 9am to 4pm.

We spend some time in the classroom to learn about some theory but the goal is to have you practice docking as much as possible. You will be at the helm and dock the boat in different conditions. The writing test is done in the classroom for the Advanced docking (ASA 118). We do not provide a formal tests for the single handed docking.

Learn on 30 feet sailboat with a helm

We teach the docking class on a 30 feet boat with a helm. A boat dedicated to this class.

How to prepare for the class?

There is no specific preparation and no prerequisite for this class but ASA 103 is recommended. You will receive a textbook “Docking and Maneuvering Made Easy” by American Sailing if you do not already have it.

What is included in the class?

– Class material to practice knots, Sailboat models to explain some docking theory
– ASA certification for the ASA 118 class
– Personal flotation device (PFD)
– Test material
– The Book Docking and Maneuvering Made Easy can be purchased upon registration and will be mailed to you

ASA 118 Docking and Single docking class

Classroom:

Theory and explanations about the fundamental of docking, propwalk and propwash and important knots and safety

On the water: Boat Familiarization and a docking, docking, docking:

You will be at the helm or act as a crew for other students. A great way to learn both aspects of docking and to understand how things work and how to communicate between crew and skipper. Docking maneuvers include:
– Forward and back under power,
– Standing turn
– Docking against the wind
– Touch and go
– Docking bow first
– Docking astern.