Boat handling under power
A good maxim is to engage brain, helm and throttle in that order. Every crew member should know how to start the engine and the basic controls including how to stop it.
Turning the boat in its own length or as near as you can is an essential skill to get out of a tight corner. Practise without the bow thruster if fitted so you understand the forces and could cope if it fails. Use the minimum necessary power; winding the revs up in the marina rarely ends well.
You need to find a reasonably enclosed space outside the channel; if there is some wind, even better. The prop kick is key so turn whichever way uses it to pull the stern round. The boat will turn most effectively when stopped with the helm hard over and with a burst of power ahead. As soon as the yacht starts moving forward, go into neutral. In a confined space you will have to engage astern. As the yacht starts moving backwards you can reverse the helm to steer astern. At this moment go into neutral again and give it a burst ahead. When the boat is stationary and there is no pressure on the helm, put it right over and the yacht will turn. If there is a breeze, use it to blow the bow off the wind. You hardly need to touch the throttle, but the half-turn to bring the bow back into the wind will require more power.
ALONGSIDE BERTHS
Marinas and harbourmasters are usually fine about allowing yachts to practise on a quiet pontoon away from anything expensive. For inexperienced skippers the first and last 30m of the trip can be the most stressful.
When coming alongside hammerheads or mid-channel pontoons the tidal stream is your friend if you know how to use it. Conversely it’s going to end in tears if you don’t. Practise coming alongside into the stream ahead and astern. Start the approach from a good distance away and use minimum power. No one minds if you take it slowly, least of all the yacht next to you. The
crew needs to be ready to step ashore from the part of the boat which will make contact first. If going ahead and the pontoon is to windward this will be near the shrouds. For a berth to leeward it is further aft.
If there is only one crew, a central line secured quickly is the best plan, but the helm needs to identify a cleat and stop next to it. It is not the crews’ job to stop the boat.
Practising on finger pontoons ahead and astern is time well spent and so is springing off a leeward berth. If the berth is downtide, with the water flowing into the berth, it is sometimes preferable to approach astern because without a bow thruster you have more control when you engage ahead to stop. Either way it requires a positive manoeuvre if approaching from across the stream between a row of pontoons. While the boat is going ahead in a confined space the crew can sit on the coachroof rather than stand by the rail in a line blocking the view like footballers defending a free kick.
If you want a challenge, the hardest berth is in slack tide to windward with large yachts each end, strong wind 45º off the bow and against the prop kick. If you are thinking of trying it you need to know the stopping distance because it has to be done faster than normal with a very positive helm movement to steer away from the pontoon at the last moment to counteract the kick.