Here is a bit of wisdom on berthing a boat from Captain Mike
Berthing a Boat
1) WHEELBARROW. Think of your boat as a wheelbarrow. The stern (back of the boat) is the part that makes the change of direction happen, just like a wheelbarrow. Be aware that as you go forward, when you turn left, the back is going to go right, and vice versa. Remember this and you shouldn’t bump the jetty, or other boats, as much while berthing a boat.
2) Berth NEXT to the jetty. Not at it, not on it and don’t hit it. Aim to be stopped just before you get there. Momentum will take you the last bit. Gently.
3) Berth in neutral. Yes, you should have done everything before you get there and the boat should be in neutral and just have the slightest momentum to carry you gently that last meter to the jetty. Gently.
4) Ropes are NOT brakes. There are many ways to use ropes, to manoeuver and to leverage, but in controlled careful use. Early correct engine use and steering stops the boat correctly. Gently.
5) Early, early, early. I can’t say this often enough, and I say it every day while training. Get lines prepared early, not at the last moment. Tell crew early what will happen, or might happen. NO screaming at the last moment. And slow down earlier, turn earlier and reverse earlier. Too early is almost always better than too late.
6) Steer, then Power. Get the steering direction correctly set while in neutral, before adding power. Neutral is a great place to make adjustments, calmly.
7) Practise. Practise pulling up to a mooring buoy from different angles to the wind and see how much throttle it takes to stop, in forward and reverse. See how much momentum it has and what control settings are needed. You can practice the techniques of berthing a boat without having to actually berth.
8) Test. Test your propeller and rudder set up and learn what it is and what it does. There are VERY different techniques to berthing a boat with a propeller and rudder, to a stern drive, outboard or single to twins. Test what actually happens when you turn to port in forward, and then what happens when you do it in reverse. Do it on a calm day in a clear space of water. Slowly, exactly as if you are berthing, and learn exactly what is normal.
9) Imagine the Fulcrum. Try to imagine the point about which the boat turns. When the back goes left, the front goes right. It’s a bit like a wheelbarrow, or a see-saw, on a fulcrum (pivot point). And the fulcrum moves. The see saw is short on one side and long on the other. When you turn while going forwards, the pivot is far forward and the stern swings out a lot while the bow moves a lot less. With stern drives and outboards when you reverse, this pivot point moves closer to the back of the boat, so the bow does a huge swing, for a small amount of stern movement. A big mistake in berthing an outboard happens after you turn away from the jetty as you approach. As you go forward, you turn away, so the stern swings towards the jetty. Great so far. Then you reverse, forgetting to turn the outboard towards the jetty. The fulcrum moves aft, so the bow does a huge swing into the jetty as the stern moves away from the jetty a small amount. Exactly the opposite of what you hoped for.
10) Momentum. a boat can do a ‘handbrake park’ far better than any car, because it can slide sideways really easily. This you can use for you, or it can mess up what seems so good if you don’t make allowance for it. Eg: If you run right into your pen, even though you may be perfectly in the middle and think you just need to go forward a little, you will often be surprised when you end up hard against the finger jetty (or other boat) on the left hand side. Turn your car hard right and you get thrown left. Turn your boat right and it will slide left. Remember that, when you plan how to berth.
11) Wind and Current. The moment you turn side on or stern into wind or current the effect is HUGE. So try to minimise the time you spend in this vulnerable situation. Or use it and make allowance for it.
12) Plan. The world’s best skippers and the ships pilots ALL plan, so why shouldn’t you? Even to sketching it, do it one step at a time. Draw the berth, then the current and the wind and the course you think you should take. Then think about what momentum will do. Correct your course. Think about where you will turn and whether you will be in reverse or forward gear at the time. Remember to think about the fulcrum and what will the bow or stern do at the time you make the changes to steering and gears.