Research Note

Plate A. A sketch is given of a vessel backing and filling up a narrow channel, with the wind and tide in every possible different position with respect to each other.

Before steam-tugs were so plentiful, vessels relict! upon the tides, in many instances, to get them to sea.

You may drift a vessel down broadside to the current, keeping the yards counter-braced as in lying to, shooting ahead, or backing astern to avoid danger; then, as you approach either shore, you may fill away until she gathers sufficient headway for stays, or wear around, putting her head towards the other shore, this is termed backing and filling.

To do this properly, a knowledge of the times and sets of the tides, depth of water, eddies, etc., and especially a correct judgment of distance, are of the first importance.

To give a clear idea of the various manoeuvres, and show what can be done with a ship without steam, a sketch (Plate A) is given of a vessel backing and filling up a narrow channel, with the wind and tide in every possible different position with respect to each other.

The wind and sets of the tide are designated as before by arrows and half arrows, and the vessel's track or course by the dotted lines from number to number. No. 1, Plate A, represents a vessel reaching the tide with her main yard aback to avoid reaching too fast; proceeds to No. 2, having reached out of the strength of the tide, has thrown her fore yard aback, and is making a stern board, by which she will fetch No. 3, fills and reaches to No. 4, tacks, the tide sweeping her while in stays round the point, but not sufficiently soon to enable her to fill on the starboard tack; the fore yard therefore kept aback, as in No. 5, while the tide is setting her to No. 6, fills; the tide in this reach setting to leeward, she does not make a weatherly course until she meets it running to windward again, when she reaches to No. 7, where the helm is put a-lee and the main yard swung, and she shoots into the position of No. 8, is not permitted to come round, but falls off again, and makes a sternboard to No. 9, fills and reaches ahead as far as she can, then repeats the manoeuvre of No. 7 to No. 10, whence, as before in No. 8, she makes a sternboard to No. 11, where she is in a "fair way," and will maintain her position in the strength of the tide, by backing, filling, or shivering the main yard, or both, till the tide sets her into the position of No. 12, where she is being brought astream of the tide, to drop stern, first under better command, through a channel which is too narrow to allow her to drop athwart.

From No. 11 she might have reached into the bight, and tacking there, have fetched as far to windward as No. 13; but there being an eddy tide in the bight, she would perhaps have lost half the tide before she got out of it again, unless she had a commanding breeze.

No. 13, being astream of the tide, is dropping through the narrow channel to, No. 14, and thence to No. 15, where she is hauling her wind on the starboard tack to No. 16, in a "fair way" to No. 17, where the tide is setting to leeward, and the fore-topsail is clewed up, as she is going to bring up, there not being sufficient water for her to proceed; the main yard is therefore braced up to take-aback, that when she rounds to, as in No. 18, she may not shoot across on to the opposite bank.

No. 19, the main-topsail being clewed up or down, the anchor is let go, and the vessel swings head to wind and tide, as in No. 20; having to wait a short time here till there is sufficient water for her in the next channel, the jib-boom is rigged in and the fore-topsail furled, as she is coming to a more crowded part of the river, and does not require to reach any distance. When there is sufficient water for her to proceed, known perhaps by the time of tide, or by the water she is riding in, or if it be a shifting channel by a boat stationed there, the cable is. hove in and she clubs to No. 21, where she is sheering across the channel to No. 22; the tide here setting into the bight, she is obliged to sheer broad to port to prevent her being set in there.

No. 23, the helm aport to bring her astream again, clubs to No. 24, has got the main-topsail set again to help her to No. 25, wind abeam, main-topsail shivered, or backed as required till she arrives where the tide is setting to windward, as in No. 26, heaves up and drops, filling or shivering the main yard, to No. 27, clear of the buoy, is brought astream again, as in No. 28, and dropped to, No. 29, hauling her wind to cross the tide, as in No. 30, where the main-topsail full prevents the tide from setting her up on the sand astern, when she fetches. No. 31, is again brought astream and drops to No. 32, where she is again laid athwart and drops fore-reaching a little with her main yard full, as in No. 33, and thence to No. 34, where the main yard is laid aback for a stern board to No. 35, whence, by backing, filling, or shivering the main yard, either to keep in the best of the tide, or to make way for other vessels passing up or down the channel, she arrives as in the following figures at No. 39, where she is again laid astream and the main-topsail clewed up, as in No. 40, where she can drop her anchor and ride-to windward or to leeward, according to circumstances.
{From: Textbook of Seamanship, 1891}

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