Hmm...sounds like Keuka Lake or Seneca Lake on an interesting day! :-)

I don't know your boat, so I don't know if it's an outboard or an I/O, but
when my father bought his first boat (32 t Luhrs, single screw) and was
having a devil of a time docking it, neighbors on the dock told him to find
a calm cove, and pay attention to what happened if he put the thing in
neutral and varied the RPMs. The rotation of the motor has a significant
effect on which way the boat drifts. Sometimes it's just enough to help,
although I realize a big wind may negate the effect sometimes. Another thing
that helped was having a boat hook aboard. My sister became a real whiz with
putting lines around cleats & bollards with that thing, when there was
nobody on the dock to help. I think she saw it as just another version of
knitting or something, with a bigger needle.

He finally figured it out one night. He woke up and said he had a dream
about docking. We went out that day and he docked the boat like he'd been
doing it for years. He went struttin' down the dock like he was reeeeeeal
gone. :-)

-Doug

"Jesse Dinkin" wrote in message
...
I just started boating this season(18 ft bowrider) . Never driven a boat
before. Not ever. I've been out maybe 10 times on a large lake in upstate
NY. The lake often is rough even on a sunny day. We rent a slip on the end
of a dock which extends straight out into the lake at a right angle to the
shore. The space that I have is the one on the very end, on the lakeside
of
the cutout that I share with another boat. The other boat is on the shore
side and generally has the waves pushing him into the dock as he pulls in.
I, on the other hand, am usually being pushed away from the dock toward
the
other boat by the waves and the wind. Today was unbelievably difficult. My
docking is really ugly. I have this brand new boat that I keep hitting the
edge of the dock with. I also realized today that by being on the end of
the
dock I have less protection than any other boat. This seems like a very
difficult challenge for such a newbie as me.......does anyone agree with
this assessment. When I go to dock anywhere else it's much easier, the
open
dock where I buy gas or enclosed spaces where the water is not as rough. I
thought about asking for another dock space but I hate to give up on the
challenge of the space that I have.....I just dont want to do anymore
damage
to the boat than I've done already.