With the tide or current under the lee bow trim your after canvas dead flat, unless the sea is large. Let her eat out to windward on an easy helm, humoring to keep good way on all the time.
Current, sailing in a calm:
Going through a passage with a strong favorable current and no wind, lay your vessel broadside to the drift of the tide, then the speed of the stream will make a breeze in the sails and give your boat steerageway. Tack on approaching the shore, and stand over for the other, being careful to tack while still in the strength of the stream.
Anchored in a current:
If at anchor in a current with the wind blowing against the tide, to keep the yacht from riding over her anchor, tie a bucket on a rope and drop it over the stern. This is a good way to keep a dingey away from a yacht’s stern when tide-rode.
Heaving-to:
To heave-to a vessel you must trim your sails so that the wind presses on one side of one sail and the other side of the other or others. In a boat like a sloop or yawl you can heave-to by drawing your jib a-weather, by slacking off the lee and hauling on the weather sheet. This causes the force of the wind in the jib to counteract the force in the after canvas. By slacking off the mainsheet until a balance of power is established between mainsail and jib a boat will lie almost in one place.
Lying-to:
It is a very simple matter to lay a fore-and-aft vessel to. But in the first place you should find out in reasonably good weather what sail she will lie-to best under. Knowing this, snug her down to it before bringing her head to it. The best sail is that nearest amidships; but some boats require more after canvas and some more forward. No rule can be laid down, each vessel in this respect being peculiar to itself. When ready, watch your seas until after a big one has past you; get a smooth, then put your helm down easily and bring her to with a long sweep. The amount of sail she wants is enough to keep her just moving ahead, so that there will be steerageway and no more. Use plenty of oil while rounding to and afterwards, if the seas are cresting and breaking.