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Backing
Into A Slip (21-4)
by Dusty Miller
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 Your
palms are sweaty, your mouth is dry, and you have a
knot in your stomach – you must be backing your
boat into a slip. Despite the initial anguish of attempting
this seemingly difficult task, there are
several benefits.
First of all, having your boat stern first in the slip
allows easier boarding regardless of your docking situation
and the power and water connections are at or near the
transom, eliminating the hassle of draping the cables
over the rail or along the side deck to the shorepower
station. It’s also provides a special social element,
allowing you to easily enjoy the camaraderie of other
boaters. But with any situation that has many benefits,
there is always one inevitable drawback. In this case,
it’s moving your vessel from open water into the
tight confines of the slip, smoothly and efficiently.
Until you get the hang of it, you’ll find this
a daunting task. Let’s take it step by step.
First and foremost, check the wind. Even a light breeze
can throw you off course. So, look at the water around
your boat as the air paints a picture of its direction,
strength and gusts. Anticipate what it will do to the
movement of your boat. It can be confusing to look at
trees or flags nearby since the wind around your vessel
may be moving in an entirely different direction.
Before you start to back in, ensure your fenders are
adjusted properly on both sides. While you may be landing
only on your starboard or port, unexpected wind gusts
can potentially throw you off course, causing you to
inadvertently land on the other side – or against
an adjacent boat. Fenders can take a lot of impact without
doing any damage.
After getting into a downwind position (if the wind
is from the east, approach the west side of the slip
you are backing into), you need to set your angle. You
want to approach the dock from approximately 60-degrees.
Think of the dock you’re landing on as a 12:00
o’clock position and make your approach from either
20 minutes to or 20 minutes after the hour.
Then, take aim. To back in, aim the center of your transom
at the corner of the dock you’ll be landing on.
Now proceed as straight as you can. You want to hold
your track without variation, aiming the center of the
transom at the dock. If your boat starts to veer to
one side or the other, don’t be afraid to adjust
the direction, but do it gently. Go slow and make minor
adjustments as needed. Think of driving down a straight
highway. You constantly make minor corrections by moving
the steering wheel a little bit one way or the other.
It’s the same adjustments in a boat and immediate
minor corrections will keep you going straight.
In a twin engine direct-drive vessel, correct the movements
with the shifter. Adjust the port shifter to move the
stern to starboard, or adjust the starboard shifter
to move the stern to port. In an IO-powered vessel,
I simply use the wheel. Even in a twin IO, I only use
one engine at a time – the port shifter to move
to starboard, or the starboard shifter to move to port
– along with slight movements of the wheel. When
you’re manoeuvring in close quarters around the
dock, turn the wheel only when the engines are in neutral.
Turning the wheel while the prop is engaged will cause
an unwanted swing.
I use what I call “Touch in-Touch out”.
Engage the engine only for a second, long enough for
a few revolutions of the prop, and then immediately
go back to neutral. This will be just enough to modify
your direction. If you stay in gear any longer, you’ll
start a swing that could throw you right off course.
Speed is not an issue. The Touch In-Touch Out principle
easily allows you to adjust the direction of the vessel
by increments, without increasing speed underway and
allows you to maintain control.
When the transom – or swim platform – is
about 10 feet from the corner of the dock, start to
turn gently. In a twin direct-drive, engage the engine
that’s closest to the dock. In other words, if
you’re landing on the port side of the boat, use
the port shifter. In a twin IO, you also engage the
engine closer to the dock, but first, turn the wheel
slightly away from the dock. This will move the stern
toward the slip but away from the dock and the boat
will begin moving toward the dock. You’ll see
the direction change. Wait for it. Do it again if the
boat is not turning enough, but Touch In-Touch Out.
All you are doing is changing the angle to land parallel
to the dock. The momentum of the vessel will continue
to carry the boat where you want to go. The vessel should
come in on its own, since the stern swings away and
the bow swings toward the dock, upwind.
Any time you feel that your vessel will not go where
you want it to, stop. Pull away from the slip, go back
downwind and start again. But when you’ve done
it right, you can stop the vessel’s backward movement,
with Touch In-Touch Out in forward. If the stern is
farther from dock than the bow, use the shifter closer
to the dock. In an IO, turn slightly away from the dock,
before engaging the engine. Again, wait for the reaction.
If the bow is farther, use the outside shifter. With
IO engines, turn toward the dock slightly then touch
forward. When the landing has worked perfection and
the vessel is parallel, touch the starboard engine forward
and immediately repeat with the port engine, which balances
the movement and keeps the boat parallel. After the
perfect landing, you or your crew can easily step off
your boat – no jumping – and tie up. (Page
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