Dockmanship - Book

Provides the needed information to turn any skipper into a master of docking. Covers every aspect of close-quarter maneuvering for all size pleasure and smaller work vessels. Good Illustrations, clear text.

David Owen Bell defines dockmanship as "the art, skill, and practice of safely berthing and unberthing a vessel," and this 1992 Cornell Maritime Press book is devoted to exactly that. It is written for operators of small to medium-sized boats who want to come alongside and leave a dock with confidence.

Bell explains how rudders and propellers actually move a boat at slow speed, then covers the practical use of dock lines and fenders. The result is a focused handbook on the close-quarters maneuvering that worries many skippers most.