Couple of tips for your trip:
Your stern pulls to starboard when you first reverse it.
That can be a big help if you plan for it. Or not if you didn't.
Inside marinas most piloting is done at idle. Any throttle is a short burst for directional change not speed.
Always try to approach a dock on your starboard (steering) side. You can see better too.
Approach the dock on an angle and use your reverse starboard prop-walk to stop you and pull your stern parallel to the dock. Very handy in locks too.
Spring lines are your friend. You should have a mid-cleated line at the ready to toss ashore. Once secure, full left rudder and ahead dead slow. The boat will try to turn away from the dock but can't and as it goes forward it is pulled parallel into the dock. You can leave it running that way until you have other lines secured and then reach in and shut it off.
Discuss docking plans with your crew before docking starts. Have a secondary plan discussed with your crew in advance as well as an abort plan. No yelling.
Locks:
Keep a big, sharp knife next to the helm in case you have to cut a line. Immediately.
The NYS Canal system locks and the Federal one too have hanging lines that are not secured at the bottom. You take 2 of these lines aboard and wrap once and hold (do NOT secure) the lines to your boat and adjust as you rise or fall. This works in all locks.
Leave your fenders down when transiting a canal with locks. No one cares.
Call each lock master on channel 13 to arrange lockage. Enter only when you see the green light - red means do not enter the lock. Have binoculars near the helm.
In NYC the lock master runs the lock from his control tower. No one is there to help you with lines. You should have crew. One near the bow and one at the stern both with boat hooks. The helmsman can replace the stern crewman.
Tie up to the right side of the lock unless the lock master tells you otherwise. Slowly come in on an angle and pull the bow up to a line that the bow crew can grab. Once they have it, reverse and give a short burst of throttle to stop the boat and pull the stern parallel to the lock wall. Place in neutral and walk back and grab the hanging line. Wrap once around a cleat, hold and watch the world around you rise or fall.
I attended a presentation where a lady described the couple's first locking of their 58' trawler. She said it was very scary. The second lock was better but still nervous. The next 150 locks were just boring. Here's hoping all your locks are boring.
