A common method when docking in current is to slip the boat sideways bit by bit toward the dock, pier or slip. When docking correctly, the boat feels like it is moving in slow motion. After docking, a line should be secured from the dock to the bow of the boat. The current will hold the boat against the dock while the remaining lines are tied off. It is essential that anchoring be mastered by every boater.
Anchors hold best when the pull of the rode on the anchor is as near to horizontal as possible.
The holding power of an anchor increases as the scope ratio increases. Boaters should carry at least two anchors. A smaller, lighter anchor is good for use in calm weather and for positioning a boat, and a larger anchor is best for bad weather or when anchoring overnight. To anchor, the boat should be headed into the wind or current. The engine is then reversed or the boat is allowed to back off.