5. When mooring port side to, the approach should be made slowly at an approximately ________º angle.

5. When mooring port side to, the approach should be made slowly at an approximately ________º angle.

• A. 15
• B. 30
• C. 45
• D. 60

Answer: (C)

When docking with the port side toward the pier, you want a controlled, angled approach so you can both pursue the dock and maintain steerage control. The recommended angle is about forty-five degrees to the dock, and you should keep the pace slow. This angle provides a balance: enough of a sideways component to let the hull slide along the face of the pier as you move in, while still leaving you room to maneuver and align the boat without banging into the dock. As you get close, you can ease forward to press the port side against the dock and then fine‑tune with small steering and power changes to bring the boat parallel and settled alongside. If you come in too shallow, you’ll have trouble aligning and may scrape; if you come in too steep, control becomes harder and the boat can swing past or strike the dock.

When docking with the port side toward the pier, you want a controlled, angled approach so you can both pursue the dock and maintain steerage control. The recommended angle is about forty-five degrees to the dock, and you should keep the pace slow. This angle provides a balance: enough of a sideways component to let the hull slide along the face of the pier as you move in, while still leaving you room to maneuver and align the boat without banging into the dock. As you get close, you can ease forward to press the port side against the dock and then fine‑tune with small steering and power changes to bring the boat parallel and settled alongside. If you come in too shallow, you’ll have trouble aligning and may scrape; if you come in too steep, control becomes harder and the boat can swing past or strike the dock.