Going astern, or in other words reversing, is an inherit ability of square sail rigged vessels. But with proper preparation and knowledge a lateen rigged ship can also go astern.

This can come in very handy for escaping a full stop headwind situation when ship has lost momentum to make a turn and sails can no longer be adjusted by heaving to on the sheet. It can also be used to help with getting the boat to turn into a proper anchored direction facing the waves before or during high seas. Moreover this maneuver can save an incredible amount of time if a miscalculation was made during docking procedure and the ship has overshot her target stop and is in need of a small backup without going a full circle.

Note: the meaning of the words in cursive can be looked up in the Mini-Glossary of Nautical Terms at the bottom of this guide.

The first step of this maneuver is to make ship face the incoming wind. If she has already lost momentum and facing the wind this step can be skipped.

Using the steering wheel, make an adjustment to the rudder to make her turn into the wind using forward momentum.





After the ship is in position and facing the wind, steady her course.



After that lock the rudder in amidships position using Pick Up/Drop command (Right Mouse Button by default).

As the lateen sail is facing the wind it will swing to fore-and-aft position and proceed to luff. Reduced wind pressure on the sail will allow for further sail adjustments to be made easier.



Use the Sheet Winch to fully slack the sheet (Left Mouse Button + Left Shift by default). This will be helpful once the yard is repositioned to face the wind.



If the maneuver is not being used in a headwind, then the sheet must not be slacked fully. Instead, slack it just enough to bring the yard into position against the wind.

Once the sheet is slacked the yard is ready to be braced around to face the wind.

Approach the lower end of the yard. Once the yard is in reach the user interface will highlight it.



Press and hold an Activate button (Left Mouse Button by default). Then reposition yourself to the aft section to be behind the mast in relation to the bow of the ship.



From this position the direction you are facing will be the position that the yard will try to swing to. Note that if you stand in front of the mast in relation to the bow the yard control will be reversed.

Face the starboard beam in order to heave to on the yard until it's braced around into square position.

In case it doesn't happen try adjusting the sheet by heaving to or slacking the sheet winch.

If every step was done correctly the sail will start to fill with the headwind and your ship will begin to make her way astern.

Now you know how to make a lateen rigged ship go astern. I hope this information was useful. As you might have guessed, the ability to go astern can be used in wide variety of situations and can come in quite handy out at sea. Keep in mind that this guide was created with an aim at describing the general idea of moving astern under ideal conditions. Backward movement can be achieved even under other angles related to the headwind. I encourage you to try it out for yourself and to incorporate this move into your arsenal of sailing maneuvers!

Good luck and happy voyages!

Ahead - forward directional movement of the ship as well as general area in front of the ships path.

Astern - backward directional movement of the ship as well as general area behind of the ships path.

Rigged / Rigging - a configuration of masts, ropes and sails.

Full Stop - a ship condition when she is not in motion or an order to bring the ship to a complete stop.

High Seas - sea condition when waves are larger than normal.

Rudder - a device of the ship that is positioned at the stern bottom of the hull in line with the keel that assists with steering of the vessel and is controlled by the wheel.

Bow - The front physical part of the ship.

Stern - The rear physical part of the ship.

Hull - a collection of parts that form the body of the ship. Usually an outer layer that provides resistance from the elements that the ship is traveling through. Does not include the parts of rigging or superstructures.

Keel - a physical part of the hulls bottom that is in line with amidships.

Amidships - a straight line that devides the ship in two from the bow to stern.

Fore - The general forward direction of movement on the ship or a general forward location/position within the vessel.

Aft - The general backward direction of movement on the ship or a general back location/position within the vessel.

Fore-and-aft - A general position inline with amidships and the keel.

Helm - a crew deck station from which adjustements to the ships steering can be made.

Station - A certain physical location on the ship manned by a crewmember. Often to provide a certain function or a benefit for the ship and crew.

Luff - A condition of unfolded sail in which it fails to capture the wind and starts to flap about.

Sheet - A certain rope that is attached directly to sail in order to maintain its control.

Bracing - increasing the pressure on the yard or sail to secure their position.

Bracing Around - increasing the pressure on a yard from the opposit side to swing it about.

Letting go - the opposit of bracing. Letting the yard or the sails free.

Heaving to - application of pulling force on a movable part of the ship such as rope or chain.

Slacking - The opposit of heaving. Decreasing the pressure on the rope or a chain.

Yard - A solid part of rigging that is attached to the mast that holds up the sail that isn't a rope.

Port / Larboard Side - the left side in relation to center of the ship. Used to describe objects and locations on the ship as well as overboard. It is also used to describe the direction of steering.

Starboard Side - the right side in relation to center of the ship. Used to describe objects and locations on the ship as well as overboard. It is also used to describe the direction of steering.

Beam / Broadside - The widest physical part of the ship that is not the keel or a part of the rigging off to port or starboard. Generally located between bow and stern.

Square / Squaring - Positioning of the sail at 90 degrees in relation to the ships keel. This is done in relation to the sail or the yard.

Commissioner/Writer: Tenth Doctor



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Special Thanks To:

Ripheus for proofreading.

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