Catamaran Docking Widget

Every berth has its quirks – and every skipper has been there, hovering in the channel, wind pushing you sideways while an audience watches from the pontoon. Dock Practice lets you make your mistakes here instead.

We will be adding more scenarios shortly so keep checking the tool.

You’re at the helm of a catamaran entering a busy marina channel, with one job: bring her alongside the dock without touching anything. Just like the real thing, you control her with two engines – ahead and astern on the port engine, the starboard engine, or both together.

One engine at a time and the boat swings while she creeps forward or back; both together and she drives straight. The wind, adjustable from a flat calm to a fresh 25-knot breeze, pushes you where it wants to, and everything around you – moored catamarans, piers, the quayside – stays exactly where it is.

How it works:

• Engine controls – use the six buttons at the foot of the screen (or the arrow keys on a keyboard) to apply ahead or astern power to the port engine, both engines, or the starboard engine.
• Wind – set the strength and direction at the top left; the jetty windsock shows what the wind is actually doing.
• Pause – need to study the layout? Pause the scene, then drag and rotate the boat by hand to explore positions before resuming.
• Reset – back to the channel entrance for another go.

No scoring, no timer – just patient practice of the slow, deliberate movements that make berthing second nature. Perfect for skippers preparing for a new berth: anyone who’d rather learn with pixels than gelcoat.