Prepare first
Choose fenders, lines, and approach angle before the boat moves.
Free practical prep
Practise docking before the pontoon is watching
Use this free boat docking simulator to rehearse the theory behind coming alongside: fenders, first line ashore, approach angle, wind, stream, prop walk, and speed control. It is an independent revision aid, not official RYA training or assessment.
Feel the forces
Wind blows the bow off, stream sets you sideways, and neutral still carries way.
Debrief calmly
Outcomes explain speed, contact, and the setup without blame language.
Free docking simulator
Pick a scenario, prepare the boat, then bring it alongside
The first three scenarios are open without login. The full set is ready for account progress, including tide, single-handed arrivals, leaving under spring, and crew mode.
Wind: 1.2 m/s
Stream: 0.0 m/s
Prepare before moving
Walk the deck first
A quiet marina berth with room to approach from open water. Your job is to arrive slowly and make the first line count. Choose the setup, then feel the consequence in the manoeuvre.
Teaching pointThe basic shape: angle, fenders, and the midship line.
Fenders
4 fenders
First line ashore
Approach angle
28 deg
Shallow for wind on. Steeper when wind tries to blow you off.
Nothing is blocked. The debrief will compare your setup with the model plan and explain the consequences.
Preparing Calm day, port-side-to.
How to dock a boat slowly
Arrive no faster than you are happy to touch the dock. The simulator makes neutral throttle and momentum visible so learners stop relying on late bursts of astern.
What to practise before Day Skipper practical
The theory is line order, fender side, safe speed, wind direction, tide direction, and deciding early to go around when the approach is no longer tidy.
Single-handed docking comes later
The launch set includes account-tier single-handed, tide, short-slot, and leaving scenarios so the free tool can grow into a practical-prep pathway.