Captain Rob Boating

30/10/2026

When you're docking, it's okay to mess up.

It's better to re-approach as many times as you need than to crash your boat. Every good captain has blown a docking or two. Don't worry about who's watching.

What's your worst docking story? Tell me in the comments.

👍 Like + follow for a new docking tip every day.

🧭 See what the wind will do at YOUR dock before you go (free): https://www.dockwiseai.com
🛥️ Hands-on lessons: captainrobboating.com

30/10/2026

HALLOWEEN EDITION 🎃

What's the scariest thing that can happen at the dock?

👻 A gust hits the second you're in the fairway
👻 Backing in with a brand-new boat on both sides
👻 Your passenger jumps for the dock early
👻 The whole fuel dock is watching

Pick your nightmare below 👇

Captain Robert B. Kolb, USCG Licensed Captain, Coast Guard Aux Member

30/10/2026

Myth: bad docking means a bad boater.
Fact: most bad dockings are decided before you ever reach the fairway. ⚓

Which way is the wind pushing you? Bow-in or stern-in today? Which line goes on first? Plan that, and the docking gets easy.

DockWise plans it for you: dockwiseai.com/sample

Captain Robert B. Kolb, USCG Licensed Captain, Coast Guard Aux Member

30/10/2026

Stop backing out of your slip in gear.

Once the lines are off, give the boat a little push off the piling, start your momentum, and let the momentum do the work. You'll have way more control and a lot less drama.

How do you back out of your slip? Tell me in the comments.

👍 Like + follow for a new docking tip every day.

🧭 See what the wind will do at YOUR dock before you go (free): https://www.dockwiseai.com
🛥️ Hands-on lessons: captainrobboating.com

29/10/2026

DEAD BATTERY AT THE DOCK? 🔋

Cold nights and boats that sit between trips are hard on batteries. Nothing ends a fall day faster than turning the key and hearing "click."

My fix:
1️⃣ Keep a portable jump starter aboard, and keep it charged.
2️⃣ Turn the battery switch off when you leave the boat.
3️⃣ Before winter storage, put your batteries on a maintainer.

The jump starter I keep aboard: https://amzn.to/4nwnM59

Ever been stranded by a dead battery? Tell me the story 👇

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Captain Robert B. Kolb, USCG Licensed Captain, Coast Guard Aux Member

Free shipping on millions of items. Get the best of Shopping and Entertainment with Prime. Enjoy low prices and great deals on the largest selection of everyday essentials and other products, including fashion, home, beauty, electronics, Alexa Devices, sporting goods, toys, automotive, pets, baby, b...

29/10/2026

Backing a twin engine boat in, nice and slow, and she's still a little crooked. Now what?

Add a touch of forward on the port engine to straighten her out. Small corrections, one engine at a time, and she lines right up with the slip.

Would you have caught it that early? Tell me in the comments.

👍 Like + follow for a new docking tip every day.

🧭 See what the wind will do at YOUR dock before you go (free): https://www.dockwiseai.com
🛥️ Hands-on lessons: captainrobboating.com

29/10/2026

YOUR MARINA'S GRADE ISN'T YOUR GRADE ⚓

Detroit Yacht Club has a baseline docking grade of A+. Most boaters would call that easy.

But every grade you see on DockWise is the BASELINE, the starting point. Your grade moves with three things:

⚓ Your boat: length, single or twin, bow or stern thruster
⚓ You: your time at the helm, especially in wind and tight spaces
⚓ Your slip: which dock, which side, and how the wind hits it

Same marina, two boaters, two different grades. That's what your personal DockWise docking grade shows.

What's your marina, and what do you run? Example: "Miller Marina, 32 ft twin." Tell me below 👇

Captain Robert B. Kolb, USCG Licensed Captain, Coast Guard Aux Member

29/10/2026

No passengers, no dockhand, just me and a 23-foot Robalo.

If you boat alone, this one's for you. I'll walk you through how to depart the dock by yourself, step by step.

Do you usually go out solo? Tell me in the comments.

👍 Like + follow for a new docking tip every day.

🧭 See what the wind will do at YOUR dock before you go (free): https://www.dockwiseai.com
🛥️ Hands-on lessons: captainrobboating.com

28/10/2026

Slow down BEFORE you turn into your slip, not after.

As the dock comes up, shift into neutral and lose your momentum. Then read the wind. Here it's hitting the port bow, so I'm planning for the boat to get pushed.

Where does the wind usually hit you at your dock? Tell me in the comments.

👍 Like + follow for a new docking tip every day.

🧭 See what the wind will do at YOUR dock before you go (free): https://www.dockwiseai.com
🛥️ Hands-on lessons: captainrobboating.com

28/10/2026

HAUL-OUT CHECK-IN 🍂

Where's your boat this week?

A) Already on the hard, shrink-wrapped and done
B) Still in the water, squeezing out one more weekend
C) Heading south for the winter

Comment A, B or C 👇

Captain Robert B. Kolb, USCG Licensed Captain, Coast Guard Aux Member