Around 4/6/2005 3:34 PM, William G. Andersen wrote:

...what Chuck said...
I enjoy watching people who know what they're doing. It's always fun to be a
quiet, unobtrusive observer at the launch ramp or at the dock to see how
others do it. I try to remember the good ones and make a note to not do what
the bozos do.

That was one of my favorite hobbies during summer as a young teen. I'd
spend hours down at the local beach with it's boat launch, giving a hand
to those who needed it. There were more than a few who did need it,
partly due to the poor location, but largely due to inexperience.

We sometimes take time out and just practice station keeping- nosing up to a
buoy or whatever, and staying in the same relative position. Other times, we
practice approaching a dock from each direction, on each side.
Doing a back and fill maneuver, to turn 180 degrees without moving more than
a couple of feet fore and aft, is another good exercise to learn how to
handle a boat and use the wind and current to your advantage- or at least
compensate for them.

That's one really nice thing about small outboard runabouts: they can
maneuver like some people wouldn't believe.

Practice, practice, practice!

--
~/Garth - 1966 Glastron V-142 Skiflite: "Blue-Boat"
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats."
-Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows