RedactedNarrative: The owner/operator of the 38 foot recreational sailboat (V1), Alcala, was attempting to reverse the vessel from his dock, into the narrow, shallow channel near his community to take the boat out for the first time since Hurricane Irma.  As he was swinging the bow towards the west, one of his passengers stated that he was getting to close to the dock.  The operator thought that he was in reverse, and hit the throttle to avoid the dock.  Instead he was in forward gear and hit the corner piling of the dock snapping it, and causing damage to the plumbing and electric of the dock.  The Operator. had not operated that vessel since before Hurricane Irma, and was not used to operating a vessel of that size.  He was using his diesel engine to steer.