You can avoid the dash to stop the bow of the boat by installing a mid-ship
cleat.
With a mid-ship
cleat on your boat and a docking
line attached to it, just step off the boat and throw the
line around a dock
cleat. The boats momentum will bring the boat against the side of the slip and to a stop.
If you really want to impress your neighbors, you can measure how long your docking
line should be to stop the boat right where you want it. Ty a knot in it at that point. When you step off your boat ty it off on the dock
cleat at the knot. the boat will come to a stop where you want it. In my case I just walk around the slip and attach my permanent docking
lines!
Of course, you don''t want to try this at 3.5 Kts!!
Fairwinds,
Jim