Bataille d'Aboukir (1798) at Doncaster 2017

[Dobbs]

I was working on my springing rules, and this popped into my head: If the ships at the Nile were only anchored at the bow, and there was no tide or current affecting them, then why didn't they weathercock toward the wind? I haven't looked into it, and just thought I'd throw it up here for discussion.

According to the postings here, the ships were roughly facing west, but the wind was from the NNW.

As an additional point, a few of the British ships anchored in gaps in the French line to rake the French ships. If the French ships were anchored on single anchors by the bow, and pointing roughly into the wind, if the British didn't use springs, why didn't they just fall in line with the French fleet, since an anchored boat wants to put its bow to the wind?

Springs aren't very difficult to set up, but I've just never heard them mentioned at the Nile, and it seems like something history would record...

There's a lot more to it than the books let on. Typically, you turn into the wind, coast to a stop, drop the hook, and let the wind carry you backwards as it sets.

I'm thinking that Leander did things a little differently, but how?