Deck Boat Handling

Become familiar with the handling characteristics of your boat. Most deck boats don't steer very well when they lose power, and current and wind can make it even more difficult.

Practice backing back. On a quiet day, with no boat traffic nearby, throw something that floats into the water and practice backing up to it. Backing maneuvers are a good way to understand how your vessel settles out when you advance and reduce the throttle and turn the wheel.

It's never a bad idea to have someone else on your deck boat become familiar with the boat's systems, communications devices, and handling characteristics. That way, if something should happen to the skipper, the deck boat could return to port quickly and safely, or help could be summoned.

When approaching a pier with the wind toward the shore, bring your deck boat slowly toward the dock space and parallel to it. The wind will ease you in. If the wind is blowing out to sea, however, you'll want to approach from a steeper angle, secure a bowline to the dock, and then use power to bring the stern in.
If you're leaving a dock with the wind toward the dock, leave a bowline secured to the dock and back the stern away from the dock. When the boat is nearly perpendicular to the dock, release the bowline and back a safe distance before proceeding forward. If the wind is blowing off the dock, just untie and let Mother Nature push you away.

To leave the dock with the wind from dead ahead, keep a stern line attached to the dock and let the bow swing out. Then release the stern line and off you go.

When passing an oncoming boat, and meet his wake, first you will strike the larger and longer waves of the first wave line, then, with increasing rapidity, the slower and shorter wave components. You are almost sure to be in sync with some of these groups, and they can cause discomfort and sometimes even damage. The only real defense is to slow down before meeting any large boat wake. Then, if traffic will permit, point your bow into the wake to reduce the chances of taking water.

Resources:
WWW.DISCOVERBOATING.COM
WWW.HEARTLANDBOATING.COM
WWW.GOBOATINGMAG.COM