By difficult, do you mean the steering is tight or do you mean the boat is more difficult to maneuver? I'm going to take as the 2nd. As a general rule sailboats do not steer well at slow speeds; having a boat powered by an outboard adds a degree of difficulty as the thrust of the engine is not in the same line as the boat's rudder. The reality is that you do not steer a sailboat like you would a car or a power boat, but just get it into a controlled drift with small steering inputs.. For the rudder to be effective water has to be passing through it which means the boat must be moving. Propeller rotation will induce a stern walk depending in magnitude by the size of the propeller and in direction by the direction of rotation, left or right. Now docking a boat requires a plan to be formulated according to the wind and current and the obstacles encountered at the time of docking. Predict how you boat will react to the wind strength and direction and to any current that may be present so enter a docking situation at a speed and location where a drift will take you close to where you want to end up. If the wind is ahead you may need more engine power if it is behind you less. Approach slow with small and short power inputs. As the boat slows down the steering response will diminish to the point that it would be useless to remain behind the wheel. Hopefully at this point you are close to the dock and in position to fend off or grab a dock cleat with a pole or a line. With practice and knowledge of how the boat reacts you will become proficient in docking but until the take it slow so you do not hit anything hard and don't be embarrassed as even old salts have to fend off other boats from time to time. Watch the conditions as trying to dock in strong winds may require quick and decisive moves with only one chance of success. Whenever possible formulate a backup plan of what you are going to do if the original plan fails. We have all left a boat at a different dock location to come back at a later time with better conditions to place it where it belongs. Sometimes it pays to drop off a crewman elsewhere on a dock to have him walk over and grab a line to pull the boat in. Spring lines can be used to steer a boat when docking but are usually used in foul conditions. In conclusion, you do not steer a boat into the dock you just plan a controlled drift guided by small adjustments of rudder and power. When leaving the dock from a stand still it may be required to gun the engine for an instant just to get the boat moving and acquiring steerage and then gently applying power to move away slowly. A power application may create stern walk or prop walk but remember that an engine in neutral has no walk. You can also seek protection from the wind behind larger already docked boats. Docking takes observation, patience, practice and ingenuity. Docking has been defined as a controlled crash and it really does not matter how you can get the boat to the dock as long as nothing gets damaged with your pride being an exception. Still every once in a while I will put out a performance worthy of a circus act but the secret is to act as if that was what you intended to do.
