The SEE Method Put to Use

Now that we have learned the SEE method as well as a few other tips on how to work in close quarters, lets see it actually put to use.

 You see an empty space on the dock that is large enough to fit your boat into.  You have also looked at the sea conditions to see which way the wind is blowing.  With the wind blowing in this manner, you are going to have the breeze pushing you onto the dock.  You have completed step one of the SEE method, seeing the dock and the situation you are in.  

Step 2: Examine what is going on around the dock.  You have the wind in mind, now create a visual path on the water and pick a point on the dock to "aim" for.  When you have the dock directly ahead of you, take a look at the waves again.  Are the waves bouncing off of the dock, colliding with the incoming waves and making bigger ones.  If this is the case, depending on the size of your boat, you may actually get pushed away from the dock.  When you about 2 boat lengths from the dock, turn again and form a 45 degree angle between your bow and the edge of the dock, roughly aiming for the cleat that your bow line will attach to.  Like mentioned earlier, the examine and execute steps can sometimes get blurred together, you have covered both of them in this step.  

Step 3: Have someone attach a bow line to the dock and make sure that it is secure with a little bit of slack.  The slack will make up for the fact that the front of the boat is curved and the cleat is closer to the center, thus being further from the dock.  Remember, you are going to be pulling on this line with the engine to move your stern into the dock, it must be secured.  Once you are attached, turn the wheel hard over to the dock and place the engine in reverse or the outside drive (on a twin engine). This will slowly move you closer to the dock.  Attach the stern line and adjust the bow line as needed.  

You did it!