First day with 2021 195s

[octavio3311]

You will get the hang of it. Just remember - be GENTLE.
All boats handle differently. I/O, outboards, jets, inboards - they all have their specific traits and their individual pros and cons. You adapt.
I read a lot about the lack of reverse on our Yammies - yes - there’s no prop, therefore no grab. BUT - after trying to back my buddies Mastercraft X25 into a slip 1 day - I swore I’d never bitch again. That thing, like most inboard wake boats - in reverse, continually favor 1 direction. They can’t help it - It’s a torque steer kind of thing and the rudder being in front. That why MC offers bow thrusters. Bow thrusters on a 22-24’ boat. Yep.

 

[haknslash]

With the Yamaha's since 2017 with the A/K rudder, that's not exactly true. I've tested it by cutting thrust back to neutral from planing speeds and I can still turn port/strb. Compared to my old I/O prop drive, it's not as dramatic as the lower unit had more surface area to act like a rudder, and the center line under the hull tries to hold a forward line, but it can turn slowly. Although trying to dock at no wake speeds the jetwash makes it harder to control in neutral as water and bubbles are going fore and aft of the rudder area. That's where you're right that a bit more speed approaching the dock helps as more water is going over the A/K and helps. I typically dock at no wake setting 1 in calmer conditions, and no wake 2 or 3 if it's rougher/windier.

Yamaha introduced the rudder on the 19’ boats in 2016 so I’m familiar with how it behaves. I didn’t find it offered much steering at idle and like most rudders it requires water to be moving past it to be that effective IMO. This is where I learned to hone NWM and TDE together around docks and when retrieving. After some time experimenting and the fact there is no transmission that you can go forward and back while NWM is engaged and it really allows for easy control once you get used to it.