Tips
A selection of thoughts and ideas collected and collated from different sources, including my own experience.
Principles for manoeuvring under power
Included here are 2 excellent articles which should help shape the way you arrive at and depart from a berth. The first, by James Pearson, provides an excellent structure which I've used ever since being introduced to them by James himself. Although I'd been handling many kinds of boat before then, James' 5 principles completely aligned with the techniques I'd otherwise acquired through experience. The second article, by Bill Johnson, kept appearing when I was searching for the first one online. Bill's article addresses principles which might be considered attitudinal rather than physical; but the two articles complement each other very well:
Propwash - single versus twin rudders
Propwash is the effect of a moving plug of water being generated when you engage forward gear with some high revs, for a short period. The aim is to induce steerage as the plug hits the centrally mounted rudder, without generating forward momentum. This does not work with twin rudders because the plug goes between them, so no steerage is induced.
When used in conjunction with a forespring, the additional propwash effect on a centrally mounted rudder can greatly increase the angle you are able to move the stern off a pontoon.
When engaging forward gear, with a central rudder it is essential to know where your rudder is pointing in order to ensure any propwash has the desired effect (conversely, to avoid an unintended effect).
With twin rudders, when underway, you first need to generate movement through the water before you have steerage.
Springs
A forespring stops the boat moving forwards; a backspring stops the boat moving backwards.
If you come ahead (motor gently forwards) on a forespring the bow will pivot in towards the pontoon; if you come astern on a back spring, the stern will pivot in towards the pontoon. Have fenders positioned accordingly.
If you are attached by the stern and motor gently forwards, the stern line will act as a forespring and can help move the bow in towards the pontoon.
Reefing
If you are thinking about putting a reef in, you probably should already have done so. In other words, reef early.
If you are thinking about shaking a reef out, have a cup of tea. In other words, don't rush every time the wind drops; it might be only a temporary lull.
Wellbeing
From Mike Golding, a highly respected single handed sailor:
Eat before you get hungry, sleep before you get tired, and put on more clothes before you get cold.
Totally makes sense, but is all about being prepared to stop what you're doing and get ahead of the game; you never know, when sailing, when demands on your time will prevent the routine things being possible for a while.
Mariner Welcome Aboard 2019.pdfInviting someone onto your boat
When you invite someone to join you on your boat, would you prefer that they come prepared, or would you rather it was, for them, more a step into the unknown. Personally I recommend the former approach and, in this regard, I like to use a simple flyer which you can send to them beforehand, serving as a form of joining instructions. An example of one that I used when owning a share in a cruising yacht is linked.
I also came across this very useful advice: How to keep your crew happy, from Universal Yachting. It's one thing inviting people to join you, it's quite another providing them with a real sense of participation and not being merely a passenger.
Although not part of the RYA skippering courses per se, I do make a point of bringing these ideas up to students hoping to skipper their own boat in the near future after their courses. It relates to ensuring your crew enjoy their experience under you as their skipper; which does require some careful planning and quite some effort.