How do you dock when you are the last slip against dock?

Answer 1

Getting in and out of the slip depends entirely on the design of the slip, the size of the boat and slip, wind, current, obstacles, space for maneuverability, and your own piloting abilities. There may also be local requirements where you dock, or special considerations due to tidal changes. Once into the slip, I would try to protect my boat from damage due to rubbing on the dock due to boat wake from other boats, or the effects of wind and currents. If the design of the dock permits, I would try to moor front and rear on both sides to keep my boat off the docks, using some shock cord to allow it to absorb the flexibility of the docks and prevent damage from the docks pulling the cleats apart as the dock rocks. If you are mooring a live aboard yacht, or just temporarily mooring or if the dock is well protected from wake, you can get away with just using bumpers -well placed to prevent your boat from rubbing on or hitting the dock. There are also gadgets available ( I have seen them in the Overton's catalog but they may be available elsewhere) that allow you to moor your boat on flexible poles to hold it off the dock while only tying off 1 side.