Everyone has their own way of docking their particular boat, and as we all know, some ways seem to work better than others. Bringing your boat to the dock is both a basic skill and an imperative one to learn how to do right. Here are a few tips to help you get into the slip without too much damage or embarrassment.

• Consider the traffic in the area, the direction of wind and current, and the depth of the water you are in.
• Never approach the pier faster than you are willing to hit it. In other words, approach the dock slowly enough that if something goes wrong, the results won’t be tragic.
• Toss your spring line first, with loop fed through your boat’s cleat. Loosely coil lines, making sure there are no tangles, then toss gently, aiming over one shoulder of the dock staff.
• Use a boat docking hook to retrieve lines dropped in the water, or the opposite end of the hook to fend off other boats when a collision is approaching.
• If you ask your passengers for help, be specific and give clear direction. Do not assume that everyone on-board has the same boating experience that you have or that they can read your mind. 
• Don’t kill the engines until all lines are secure. This way, if a line is dropped in the water, you can still maneuver your boat until everything is set.

To see an interesting bock docking experience, check out this video of a tight docking of a boat at Telegraph Harbour Marina: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jvddqntJREo.

Whether you are just learning how to properly dock your boat or you’ve been docking for ten years, having a boat docking hook is one of the single most useful tools for this activity. As an industry leader in marine and boating hardware, Acquah’s Enterprise supplies high quality boat docking hooks at affordable prices. Order your boat docking hooks from Acquah’s Enterprise today by calling us at 866-538-9866 or order online for your convenience.