3.2 Manual Sailing

Manual sailing means using the rig as part of the helm. Instead of letting automatic yard control seek a useful trim, you rotate the forward and after yards yourself, combine their force with the rudder, and decide when the staysails should help or stop helping. The reward is finer control of speed, turn rate, heel, and movement near the wind.

3.2.1 Controls at a glance

On the experimental controller scheme, the triggers and bumpers rotate the sails, the left stick controls rudder and sail state, left-stick click toggles automatic yards, and right-stick click toggles staysails. See Keyboard & Controls for the developing full control list.

3.2.2 What the rig is doing

Letters of Marque calculates forces from physically modeled square sails and staysails. Each working sail contributes force at its own position on the hull. The combined force drives the ship forward, but it can also push sideways, heel the hull, and create a turning moment.

Automatic yards seek a practical trim for ordinary sailing. Manual control deliberately changes that balance. If the forward sails pull differently from the after sails, the rig can help rotate the ship; if the yards spill the wind, the ship can slow without waiting for every sail to be taken in.

3.2.3 Rudder and momentum

The rudder redirects water moving past the stern. It becomes more effective as the ship gathers speed and loses authority as the ship slows. This is why a fast ship may answer the helm strongly while a vessel stopped in irons barely turns even with the rudder hard over.

Steer ahead of the desired heading. The rudder takes time to move, the hull takes time to rotate, and the ship continues carrying momentum after you begin centering the helm. Large and heavily laden ships generally demand earlier inputs than small, lively ones.

When the ship moves astern, water crosses the rudder in the opposite direction and its effect reverses. Watch the actual movement of the stern instead of relying on forward-sailing instinct.

3.2.4 Working the yards

The yard controls divide the rig into forward and after groups. Rotating both groups toward a productive angle can restore drive after a turn. Rotating them differently can unbalance the rig so that sail force assists the rudder. Moving them toward an angle that catches less wind can reduce drive and heel.

Yards do not move instantly. Begin the trim before the ship reaches the most difficult part of a tack, especially on a large ship. Once the maneuver is complete, return to automatic yards or trim both groups for the new heading so the ship does not continue sacrificing speed.

3.2.5 Staysails and sail state

Staysails run fore-and-aft between the masts and contribute differently from the square sails. They can provide useful drive nearer the wind, but their position also affects the balance of the ship. Toggling them off can change the turning moment, reduce some forward pull, or help a maneuver that relies on backing the square sails.

Changing total sail state is the larger adjustment. More canvas can build speed and preserve momentum for a tack, but it may increase heel and expose more rig to damage. Less canvas reduces drive and can make close manoeuvring easier. The best setting depends on whether the immediate priority is acceleration, control, gunnery stability, or survival.

3.2.6 Tacking through the wind

A tack turns the bow across the wind. The difficult moment is the no-drive region around head-to-wind, where the square sails no longer carry the ship forward and the rudder begins losing water flow.

1. Start close-hauled with useful forward speed and enough open water.
2. Put the rudder toward the new tack before the ship loses momentum.
3. Use the yard groups to help the rig rotate the hull rather than holding it on the old heading.
4. As the bow crosses the wind, trim for the new side and prevent the ship from falling back into irons.
5. Center the helm as the new course settles, then restore efficient yard control.

The exact timing differs by hull, load, damage, and starting speed. Practice on the same ship until you recognize how much momentum it needs and when its bow is likely to stall.

3.2.7 Wearing ship

Wearing turns the stern through the wind instead of forcing the bow across it. Bear away, keep the sails drawing through most of the turn, then continue onto the new tack. It uses more sea room and gives up ground to leeward, but it is more reliable when the ship is slow, damaged, heavily shadowed, or unlikely to complete a tack.

In battle, the safer sailing maneuver may still be tactically dangerous. A wide wearing turn can expose the stern or carry the ship across an enemy broadside. Choose between tack and wear by considering both the rig and the guns that will bear during the turn.

3.2.8 Slowing, stopping, and sternway

Reducing sail is the straightforward way to slow, but manual yards can spill wind sooner than the sail state changes. Rotate the square sails away from a driving angle and toggle staysails as needed. The ship will still coast, so begin before reaching the desired position.

To create sternway, back the square sails so their force acts against the ship’s forward motion, then keep the staysails from opposing the maneuver. Once the speed passes through zero, remember that the rudder response reverses. Sternway is useful for recovering from irons, tightening a confined turn, or changing distance unexpectedly, but it is slow and leaves limited control if mistimed.

3.2.9 Heel and gunnery

Sail force can heel the ship enough to alter gun elevation and expose more hull near the waterline. Before firing, consider easing the turn, reducing sail, toggling staysails, or spilling wind with the yards long enough to settle the deck. A steadier ship may produce a better broadside than a faster one.

Heel is also a defensive risk. Shots striking an exposed underwater area can produce dangerous leaks. Do not hold maximum canvas and a hard turn merely because the ship can survive the angle for a moment.

3.2.10 Wind shadow and collisions

A nearby upwind ship can reduce the wind reaching your sails. If the ship suddenly loses drive while the trim appears correct, check whether another hull and rig now stand between you and the wind. Manual yards cannot recover wind that is no longer reaching the sails; change position or heading to escape the shadow.

Ships also collide physically. Manual sailing near another vessel requires small, early corrections rather than a last-second hard turn. Account for the other hull’s momentum and leave room for its yards and bow to swing.

3.2.11 Practice drill

1. Sail across the wind under automatic yards and note the normal speed and heel.
2. Take manual control, rotate one yard group at a time, and observe the change in heading and speed.
3. Return to automatic yards and repeat from the opposite tack.
4. Practice one full tack, then one wearing turn, using the same start and finish headings.
5. Finish by slowing, creating brief sternway, and recovering forward motion.

Manual sailing is learned through timing rather than memorized angles. Use Wind & Points of Sail to understand the forces, then repeat the same maneuvers until the ship’s response becomes predictable.