- cross-posted to:
- landedgentry
- cross-posted to:
- landedgentry
Warping is throwing an anchor either manually for a small ship or by rowing the anchor out and dropping it farther away for a larger ship. Then the ship would reel it to change position. Good for maneuvering in harbor. Etymologically related to “throwing” and essentially threading a needle across the sea.
Warp factor get you asses in the rowboat. Engage.
As a sailboat enthusiast kedging is most often used as in the case of poor Blackbeard when you get caught up on something and need to move a small bit in a direction that’s against the wind or water. So usually just trying to get unstuck when you’ve run afoul of hidden sand bars or the tide shift leaves you in an awkward spot. You also might do it to help set an extra anchor if you’re worried about drifting on the tides.
Even deep water boats only have a few hundred feet of anchor rode and line and it takes a while and is a hassle to kedge out with your dinghy.
I have never in all my years of boating seen anyone do it as a method of general propulsion outside of just handling lines at the dock. It’s just sometimes your best shot.
I had no idea this had a name! When I was a small child we lived by the coast and my dad had a small yacht, one day I remember the keel lodged on a sandbar and he used the anchor to pull it free. Unfortunately we moved inland when I was 5 and dad sold the yacht.