To BROACH-TO

It is easy to conceive that a ship will carry much more sail before the wind than when the makes a progress with her side to it's direction; because when the current of wind as nearly endways on her hull, the pressure of it on the masts must be considerably diminished as she yields to it's impulse and flies before it; and that if she carries a great sail at this time, it can only press her fore-part lower down in the water. But if, when she carries a great extension of sail, her side is suddenly brought to the wind, it may be attended with the most fatal consequences, as the whole force of it then pours like a torrent into the cavities of the sails. The masts therefore unavoidably yield to this strong impression, acting like levers on the ship sideways, so as nearly to overturn her, unless she is relieved by some other event, which may be also extremely pernicious, such as the sails rending to pieces, or the masts being carried away.

It is generally occasioned by the difficulty of steering the ship; by the negligence or incapacity of the helmsman; or by some disaster happening to the helm or its machinery, which renders it incapable of governing the ship's course.

The difference between broaching-to and bringing by the lee, may be thus defined. Suppose a ship with a great sail set is steering south, having the wind N.N.W. then is west the weather, and east the lee-side.

If by some deficiency in the steerage her head turns round to the westward, so as that her sails are all taken aback on the weather-side before she can be made to return to the course from which she has deviated, she is said to broach-to.

If otherwise her head, from the same cause, has declined so far eastward as to lay her sails aback on that side which was the lee-side, it is called bringing her by the lee.

Reference Works