Go slowly

As a general rule, the slower you go the better – it gives you more time to think, and causes far less damage if it goes wrong. The good news is that 90% of the time you can go as slowly as you like, and keep the yacht under full control.

There are some situations when you need use a bit more speed during a manoeuvre, and these generally involve the wind. A touch more speed through the water will give you more steerage so you can stop the bows from being blown sideways.

Leaving a finger berth in a strong cross wind? Provided there aren’t any obstructions behind you, get the yacht out quickly, like a cork out of a bottle.