Just a little history

Before you think that one day we just bought a boat and took off into the wilderness, you should know a couple of things.  I grew up in the mid South and my only boating experience was water skiing on Tennessee and Mississippi lakes and one Bahamas Cruise!  Gary on the other hand grew up in Edmonds on the water with a Dad who fished and boated since Gary was a little kid.  Further, by the time we bought our first cruising boat, Channel Dancer, Gary already had over 25 years experience as an Air Force and commercial airlines pilot flying the world over.  So understand, he already knew chart plotting, radar, weather system interpretation,  radio communications, rudders, trim tabs, pitch and yaw.  He just needed to learn to drive a boat!  And I needed to learn to be his assistant.  We accomplished both.
He quickly realized the need to learn to dock safely and neatly.  Coronet Bay, just around the corner from us, has a mid water float that we used over and over and over to do nothing but practice dockings....with current, against current, with wind, without.  It made a huge difference in our confidence.  That is not to say we didn't have a lot to learn; the first summer was not pretty.  Every docking was a high anxiety time for both of us.  I used the boat hook frequently, I bought gadgets to help me grab the dock, I got yelled at occasionally and I sweated bullets....but so did he.  With time and practice we got it.  Our very first time to dock with my just "stepping off" the swim step to run grab a couple of groceries and come back as he sidled up to the dock to retrieve me was a proud moment!! 
Also know that his flying history gave me more confidence in his ability to handle the boat in a variety of conditions.  Our first adventure in the fog was terrifying until he taught me how to begin to interpret a radar screen;  how to see a tug and a barge, how to identify something huge like a cruise or cargo ship vs. a small go fast.  Anyone can learn these things with proper instruction and it is a must if you want to safely travel our big waters.

Queen Charlotte Strait nearing Cape Caution