Manoeuvring in the marina: for many yachtowners it is one the most stressful moments aboard. Although few admit, the combination of staring spectators and narrow berthing facilities gives sweaty hands to many.
The solution might surprise you but is actually simple: be aware of the situation! This is because the single biggest mistake made by novice owners is to react on events that are actually irrelevant.
The temptation is understandable, so many things are happening from the moment the first line is loosened, teamwork and communication with your fellow "crew", getting used to the size and steering reactions of the yacht. Doubt creeps in. "Is this the right turning rate, will I make it?" Doing nothing doesn't seem to be an option.
So what do you do?
Before you oversteer or overpower and even before you loosen that first line remember: Situation awareness is the foundation for successful decision-making. Knowing what is around you, and what events to take into account the next minutes is fundamental for safe navigation. Lacking or inadequate situation awareness has been identified as one of the primary factors in accidents attributed to human error.
Take a quick walk around the yacht; check the distance to objects around the ship. Identify fixed objects that will possibly on your way. Back at the steering wheel, check your visibility: which objects do you remember that aren't visible? Now, envision your trajectory and the required maneuvers to execute. Before heading out, remember to check for dynamic objects, moving ships in all directions and estimate the impact on your envisioned routing.
Once underway you constantly look out for new information to react upon: how far away is that mooring post? Where did that dinghy go? Is the stern free from the mooring to start turning?
Make docking and manoeuvring your yacht stress free.
Consider using on board yacht camera systems: Digital Yacht Crew with 360° surround view. The system offers top view, panorama view and 3D view. The Sail Recorder allows you to record a video of the yachts environment and play it back.
