Nautical Term: Astern
Definition of Astern
Astern refers to the direction that is situated 180 degrees on the starboard side of a vessel’s centerline. In other words, astern signifies the backward direction that a vessel faces when it’s maneuvering in the water.
For example, imagine a sailboat that is making a sharp turn to avoid a submerged object in the water. The captain might instruct the crew to make way astern to reverse the direction of the boat and prevent it from colliding with the object.
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