Definition
Used when a person is lost overboard in poor visibility or the time of the fall is uncertain, the Williamson turn returns the vessel onto the reciprocal of the original heading and back down its own wake. The rudder is put hard over toward the casualty's side, held until the heading has changed about sixty degrees, then shifted hard over the other way, easing to steady on the reciprocal course. It costs distance but guarantees track recovery.
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