“Never approach a dock faster than you are willing to hit it” (boating adage)
“Never approach a dock faster than you are willing to hit it” is a boating adage of unknown authorship. “Never approach a dock any faster than you want to hit it!!” was cited in print in 1999. “Never approach a dock faster than you’d care to hit it” was credited in 2001 to Latitudes & Attitudes, a magazine that began in 1996.
“Never approach a dock faster than you want to hit it. That gem is one of the best pieces of boating advice ever given” was cited in Boating magazine in 2014.
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Relative Maneuverability- was Re: killer boat wakes
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4/15/99
More on Docking Under Sail
Boy oh boy what a rant this thread is!!! I gotta jump in.
Now everybody listen up! Power or sail the cardinal rule of docking is…........“Never approach a dock any faster than you want to hit it!!”
The Anchorline (White Rock Power & Sail Squadron, White Rock, BC)
February 2001
Docking 101
. Never approach a dock faster than you’d care to hit it
(...)
By Peter Ruddlesdin “Latitudes and Attitudes”
(shamelessly copied from ICE BREAKER)
Boating magazine
DANCING AT THE DOCK
Who’s got the right moves for doing the dockside rumba: a kid with a joystick or an old salt with experience?
By Kevin Falvey Posted January 1, 2002
(...)
The Salt: With the stern lined up with the slip, I bump the Bravo Three drive alternately into reverse and neutral, cautiously inching backward. The rule is: Never approach a dock faster than you want to hit it.
Twitter
Elaine Bennett
@fleurdelaine
“Never approach a dock faster than you are willing to hit it.”
2:22 PM - 22 Nov 2009
Twitter
Capt. Joe Brown
@CaptainJoe
Never approach a dock any faster than you want to hit it.
1:03 PM - 25 Nov 2009
Boating magazine
HOW TO DOCK A BOAT
Turn these three boat “defects” into docking assets.
By Kevin Falvey Posted August 11, 2014
(...)
How to Dock: Proper Speed
Never approach a dock faster than you want to hit it. That gem is one of the best pieces of boating advice ever given. Yes, there are scenarios wherein a lot of throttle is required to dock the boat. But most times, going slowly will serve you best.
Muskokaregion.com
Jan 07, 2015
Are you ‘mocked at the dock?’ Here are some tips ...
... and you too will approach even the most chaotic public jetty with a feeling of supreme confidence
Bracebridge Examiner
By Jamie Ross
(...)
2. The Approach. There’s an old saying, “Never approach a dock any faster than you’re willing to hit it.” Always apply short bursts of power, bumping the boat in and out of gear to maintain slow progress toward your chosen spot. On the other hand, make sure to use enough juice to get the job done. When it comes to causes of disastrous docking, applying insufficient power comes in a close second to applying too much.