As most have said, nothing will work better than practice.
But start on a calm day. As an earlier poster stated, ideally use temporary moorings as targets.
You will find that the wind makes a HUGE difference, especially with a pontoon boat. They usually have a lot of area to catch the wind.
As another poster said, get a good boat hook (or two)
Always have at least one other deck hand to help the captain. And never forget that the captain is in charge. You can question the wisdom of their commands or decisions after you are docked or safe. But doing so in the middle of the process can be disastrous. In many situations, it will only be clear to the captain why they are asking you to do something, and more often than not, there is no time to explain why or discuss other options. By then you have run aground or hit the other boat.
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