The bow thrusters on some of the vessels are great tools for doing precision maneuvers near berthing points. The bow thruster can be toggled left and right with varying intensity to help you supplement your other controls. Combining the thrusters with rudder and power settings can allow you to make some useful maneuvers. You quickly learn though that every action has a subtle reaction, so as you thrust the bow to the right, be aware that your stern may drift slightly to the left since it is on the other side of the center of rotation. Also keep in mind that wind can help push you away from the wharf, or push you toward it at the most inopportune time!
Much of the challenge in Ship Simulator is that you can invest a sizeable amount of time (20 minutes or more for some missions) only to squander the mission by running into something because you became inattentive or impatient. My first few attempts at navigating the tight confines of the port met with disaster as time and again I misjudged my turn radius or didn’t properly scan and anticipate the motion of other traffic in the sea-lanes.
