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This is fun for the family and your self. Go out in out in the middle of the lake or bay and throw out a fender (bumper) with a short loop piece of line on. Then drive away from it and turn around and then try to practice coming up to the floating fender as if docking. This is good for practicing driving up to a person in the water also. You can also take turns letting everyone in the boat try to come up along side a fender floating in the water.
The Chapman boat has great information about docking and is good reading for learning seamanship.
Use Forward, neutral and reverse to control the boat all at idle. Learn how to come to a complete stop in the water and how to read the current and wind. These are hints to help learn how to dock. But nothing replaces the practice. I usually go to neutral while approach then go into reverse and then back to neutral. to stop the boats momentum.
After you pull the starboard side up to the dock you could turn the wheel completely the other way and hit reverse (all at idle speeds) This will pull the transom to the right towards the dock.
Archie
