Some things I have been taught and some I have learned about singles:
A single screw boat is run like a fork-lift - put the bow where you want it first and then use the rudder to place the stern where you want it. Remember, you are not steering the bow like a car is steered, you are moving the stern around so the thrust will be able to place the bow somewhere useful. If you put the rudder hard over and then put it in forward, the stern will move sideways and a bit forward, so once the boat moves sideways, put it in reverse. This will stop the forward motion but will still be moving sideways. Practise this maneuver by throwing in a cushion, or similar, and then "Dock" to it. You don't need much thrust, depending on your boat, so be careful that you don't shove the throttle forward, thinking you are putting it in gear!
Practise turning your boat in its own length using rudder hard over and just the gears. Do it in a cross-wind too.
Try backing in a straight line. Many times the best way to leave a mooring is backwards! There is nothing undignified in this maneuver, it is often very prudent because the stern is the part that is agile, the bow is always along for the ride. As you back, the boat will "walk" to one side, depending on your engine rotation. If you need to straighten out, turn the rudder to the opposite side you want to push the stern over, then select forward until the stern moves over to where you want it. You should still be moving backwards, use thrust to move the stern where you want it. Some boats will steer backwards nicely, try moving your rudder to see if yours will. My old GB32 steered backwards quite well, but only once it was moving sufficiently fast. Practise this one somewhere safe, too.
To tie to a dock, the easiest way and the least stressful to your crew, is to use a spring line tied to the middle of the boat, run to the stern. Practise putting the stern against the dock so that your deck hand can step, not jump, onto the dock, then walk in a confident manner to mid ships and take a turn or two on the dock. Even if the rest of the boat is not tight alongside, now you can use the gears in forward, with the tied spring, to put the boat tight alongside; the boat has very limited motion because it is tied. The stern line and the bow line will follow in a leisurely fashion.
Most singles seem easier to dock on a starboard tie, but it is a very good idea to practise a port tie too, so it all looks familiar when the time comes that you must tie on the port side.
Thus endeth the lesson.
