"If the ship be going free, and particularly if fast through the water, it is recommended to bring-to with the head-yards a-back. It is obvious, if the main-yard be left square, the ship will be longer 'coming-to,' will shoot farther, increase the distance from the man, and add materially to the delay of succour. It will, however, require judgment, especially if blowing fresh, to be careful and right the helm in time, or the ship will fly-to too much, gain stern-way, and risk the boat in lowering."†
"The best authorities recommend that, if possible, the ship should not only be hove a-back when a man falls overboard, but that she ought to be brought completely round on the other tack. Of course, sails should be shortened in stays, and the main-yard left square. This plan implies the ship being on a wind, or from that position to having the wind not above two points abaft the beam. The great merit if such a method of proceeding is, that, if the evolution succeeds, the ship, when round, will drift right down towards the man. And, although there may be some small risk in lowering the boat in stays, from the ship having, at one period, stern-way, there will, in fact, be little time lost if the boat be not lowered till the ship be well round, and the stern-way at an end. There is more mischief done generally by lowering the boat too soon, than by waiting till the fittest moment arrives for doing it coolly. And it cannot be too often repeated, — that almost the whole depends upon the self-possession of the Officer-of-the-watch."‡
‡ Captain Basil Hall.
Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius
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Copyright © 2002 Lars Bruzelius.
William Nugent Glascock: The Naval Officer's Manual, For Every Grade in Her Majesty's Ships. The whole recently revised, amended, and enlarged. By Captain W.N. Glascock, R.N., To which is added, a Notice on Steam and Steam Ships.
Published for the Author's widow; and sold by Parker, Furnivall, & Parker, London, 1848. p 304.