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- All 10 lessons and 29 quiz questions
- Getting to know the controls
- Turn on the spot
- Back out of the slot
- Berthing alongside
Sailboat Docking Simulator
Practice docking a sailboat — before the marina is watching
A tight slip, a crosswind, boats on both sides and people on the pontoon. Rehearse every approach here until your hands know it: prop walk, windage, current, lines and fenders behave the way they do on a real yacht.
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iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets
- 10 lessons and 4 practice sessions free
- Works offline
- No ads, no account
- 10short lessons with quizzes
- 14practice sessions in the marina
- 6languages
- 0personal data collected by the app
Why practise docking
Docking is the most stressful minute of any sail
Out at sea mistakes are forgiven. In the marina they are measured in gelcoat. The trouble is that you only get to practise when it is already for real — with the charter deposit on the line and the neighbours watching.
Sailboat Docking Simulator gives you the rehearsal that real life does not: the same approach, the same wind, as many times as you need. Back out, try again, see exactly which force pushed the bow off — until the manoeuvre becomes second nature.
The coach speaks before the mistake, not after.
What you can practise
14 docking and berthing drills, from flat calm to a strong crosswind
Every drill takes place in a real-looking marina with pontoons, quays and moored neighbours. Weather variants replay the same approach in a different wind.
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01Free
Getting to know the controls
The coach walks you through engine, throttle, helm, thruster, fenders and your first line.
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02Free
Turn on the spot
Spin her in her own length with prop wash on the rudder: short kicks ahead, helm hard over.
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03Free
Back out of the slot
Astern out of a tight spot — and feel how the bow sweeps when you go astern.
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04Free
Berthing alongside
Come in under power and hold her at the quay without a bump.
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05
Bow thruster in a tight berth
Work the bow into the slot in a crosswind, using the thruster in short bursts.
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06
Fairway with a cross-set
Run between the pontoons and hover at the berth, holding off wind and current.
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07
Berthing in an onshore wind
The wind pins you onto the wall: come in and hold off without landing hard.
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08
Berthing in an offshore wind
The wind blows you off the dock: keep the bow up and don't let her fall off.
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09
Abort the approach and come again
The approach is already botched: back out astern and make a clean second attempt.
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10
Stern-to on a lazy line
Med mooring: turn bow to seaward, back the stern to the quay and pick up the lazy line.
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11
Squeeze in stern-to
The gap is narrower than the boat with fenders: ease the neighbours apart with the stern.
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12
The engine as a line
The engine holds the stern while the lines go ashore — the short-handed trick.
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13Lab
Lying on her lines
The boat is already moored: what each weather does to her and which line holds.
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14Lab
Mooring lab
One line, then more: how wind and stream swing the boat and what every extra line adds.
Real boat handling
A boat that behaves like a real yacht under power
No arcade steering. Diesel ahead to 5.5 knots, astern to 3 — and everything that makes close-quarters handling hard.
Prop walk
Astern, the stern kicks to one side. Learn which way — and turn it into your best friend when docking.
Prop wash on the rudder
A burst of throttle over a hard-over rudder turns the boat before she gathers way. Twin rudders? Switch in settings and feel the difference.
Windage and the bow falling off
At low speed the wind takes the bow first. Crosswind docking is about keeping it up.
Current set
The stream carries the whole boat sideways. Aim upstream of the berth, not at it.
Bow thruster
Short bursts, a heat gauge and a breaker that trips — just like the real one, including when it gives up in a strong crosswind.
Fenders and bumps
Land on fenders and it is docking. Land bare-hulled and you get a flash and a scuff on the topsides.
Mooring lines
Tap a cleat, tap the bollard: lines alongside or stern-to with a lazy line, a winch to take in slack, and forces that genuinely hold the hull.
How it works
Understand it, then feel it at the helm
- 01
Read a five-minute lesson
Ten short lessons explain prop walk, windage, lines and the approach plan, each with a quick quiz.
- 02
Practise the manoeuvre
Jump straight from the lesson to its drill. Rudder arc on the left, throttle lever on the right — two thumbs, like a real helm.
- 03
See the invisible
Force arrows on the water and your track astern show what is really moving the boat. The coach warns you before you hit something.
Screenshots
Inside the simulator
Who it is for
For every skipper who has ever held their breath in a marina
Before your first charter
Arrive at the base knowing how the boat will react when you put her astern in a crosswind.
Sailing school students
Get the theory into your hands before on-the-water training or a practical exam such as RYA Day Skipper or ASA.
Experienced sailors
Sharpen close-quarters skills before the season or before switching to a boat with twin rudders.
Pricing
Start free. Unlock everything when you are ready
Full access
- €4.99per month
- €29.99per yearBest value
- €39.99one-time, forever
- All 14 practice sessions, including both mooring labs
- Weather variants in every session
- Everything that is free
Subscriptions renew automatically and can be cancelled any time in your store settings. Prices are shown in your local currency in the store and may differ from the ones above.
FAQ
Questions skippers ask
Is Sailboat Docking Simulator free?
Yes, you can start for free: all ten lessons with quizzes and four practice sessions — the controls tutorial, turning on the spot, backing out of a slot and berthing alongside — stay free forever. Full access unlocks the other ten sessions and weather variants, as a monthly or yearly subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase.
How realistic is the boat?
It is a sailing yacht under engine with a simplified but honest model: 5.5 knots ahead and 3 astern, prop walk, prop wash on the rudder, turning inertia, windage that takes the bow, current set, a bow thruster that overheats, fenders and mooring lines that hold the hull with real forces. It is not an arcade game — the boat carries her way and does not stop when you let go.
Can I practise stern-to Med mooring?
Yes. Two sessions are dedicated to it: backing stern-to onto a quay and picking up the lazy line, and squeezing stern-first into a gap narrower than the boat with fenders. A lesson explains the approach before you try.
Will it help with prop walk?
That is one of its main goals. A dedicated lesson explains prop walk, and you feel it in every manoeuvre astern — backing out of a slot, stern-to mooring, aborting an approach. Force arrows show exactly when the stern starts to kick.
Does it replace real docking lessons?
No. It is a training aid that helps you understand what the boat will do and rehearse the sequence, so your time on the water is spent refining, not guessing. It is not a navigation tool.
Does it work offline? What data do you collect?
Everything works offline. There is no account, no ads, no analytics and no tracking in the app — it collects no personal data at all. The only network request is the store's own purchase dialog.
Which devices are supported?
iPhone and iPad, and Android phones and tablets. The simulator plays in landscape with two-thumb controls: rudder on the left, throttle on the right.
Which languages?
English, Russian, German, French, Spanish and Italian, with proper nautical terms in each. The language follows your phone and can be changed in settings.
Your next marina will be easier
Download Sailboat Docking Simulator and rehearse the approach tonight. The first lessons and drills are free.
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