is danger of a jibe, and the tiller will be kept ever hard at it travelling backwards and forwards from one quarter to the other. But the experienced man will keep his helm steady, and the vessel's yawing will be slight; for the art of steering does not consist of violently forcing the tiller up and down to correct a vessel's deviation from her course after it has occurred, but in anticipating her movements with a gentle pressure of the tiller before she begins to fall off or come up. The helmsman feels that he is between Scylla and Carybdis when running before a heavy sea, and he needs all his nerve. For on the one hand he has to avoid an accidental jibe, and on the other hand, whenever a dangerously big and steep sea rolls up, he must so steer that the vessel is dead before it; for if it strikes her on the weather quarter it may cause her to broach to, that is, fly up into the wind till she is broadside on to the sea, a most dangerous position, in which she is in great risk of being swamped or rolled over by the next big wave.
Always carry a jib when running before the wind, it will help to pay the vessel off if she attempts to broach to. One can carry more canvas when before the wind than when sailing close-hauled: but if too much sail is carried the vessel will roll heavily. Do not crack on canvas under the impression that it will enable you to run away from the following seas and so avoid the risk of being pooped. No vessel can run as fast as that.
