Back

Docking a Pontoon Boat

Nov. 1 2022 Ownership Tips By Rockingham Boat

Share

After a long day on the water, as much as you might hate to have to bring your pontoon boat to shore, you’ll need to dock your vessel and head home. But as any experienced boater will tell you, docking isn’t as easy as it looks, not that it looks particularly easy. That’s why we’ve provided some tips for doing this smoothly and efficiently.

Pulling into Dock

When you approach the dock, you’ll want to scan the area you’re pulling into. The spot where you’re going to park your pontoon boat is known as a slip, so locate that first. Then look to see what’s in between you and that spot. Look for debris in the water, and avoid other boats or people.

Speed

You obviously don’t want to pull into the dock too fast. Stay in the lowest setting or gear possible using small bursts of acceleration, using mostly the water’s natural movement to float into place. Keep in mind, if you ever get stuck or feel like you can’t quite get it right, you can always come back around and try it again.

Docking & Wind

If the wind is blowing toward the dock, then you can simply let it guide your pontoon boat into place. If it’s blowing away from the dock, you’ll need to come in at a severe angle and rely more on momentum to get you through. Don’t wait to tie off if the wind is blowing.

Finally, practice makes perfect. The first couple of times might be rough, but the more often you do it, the better you’ll get and the faster the whole process will be. Also, if you do find yourself really struggling, consider asking for help. At a busy site, you’ll probably be around more experienced boaters who can guide you and give you tips. It’ll definitely save your pontoon boat a couple of scratches.

At this point, you should be ready to try out docking and hopefully succeed on your first try. If you still need a little bit of help, or if you’re looking for the right pontoon boat, stop by Rockingham Boat in Hampstead, NH, and let one of our experienced staff help you with all your boating needs. We proudly serve all those in Manchester and Nashua.