During a Williamson turn, at what heading is the rudder brought to midship?

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Multiple Choice

During a Williamson turn, at what heading is the rudder brought to midship?

In a Williamson turn you use a deliberate, two-step rudder action to reverse course efficiently. You begin the turn toward the opposite heading, but you time the midship rudder so the turn reverses as you pass a specific cue heading. The cue is when your heading is 20 degrees short of the reciprocal of the original course. At that moment you bring the rudder to amidships. This centers the turn and starts steering you back toward the original course, allowing you to pass through it on the way back. For example, if your original course is east (90 degrees), the reciprocal is west (270 degrees). You would turn until about 250 degrees, then center the rudder. The vessel will then swing back onto the original course rather than continuing to the reciprocal. Starting the midship rudder earlier or later would either fail to set up the return cleanly or overshoot, so centering at 20 degrees short of the reciprocal is the precise point that makes the maneuver work smoothly.

In a Williamson turn you use a deliberate, two-step rudder action to reverse course efficiently. You begin the turn toward the opposite heading, but you time the midship rudder so the turn reverses as you pass a specific cue heading.

The cue is when your heading is 20 degrees short of the reciprocal of the original course. At that moment you bring the rudder to amidships. This centers the turn and starts steering you back toward the original course, allowing you to pass through it on the way back.

For example, if your original course is east (90 degrees), the reciprocal is west (270 degrees). You would turn until about 250 degrees, then center the rudder. The vessel will then swing back onto the original course rather than continuing to the reciprocal.

Starting the midship rudder earlier or later would either fail to set up the return cleanly or overshoot, so centering at 20 degrees short of the reciprocal is the precise point that makes the maneuver work smoothly.

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