Nouveau manuel complet de marine, seconde partie: manoeuvres

A practical manual explaining how a ship behaves as a floating body and how sail forces, weight distribution, water resistance, and waves combine to affect rotation and course. It defines centers of gravity and rotation, describes how fore and aft sails produce turning moments, and explains rudder action and its dependence on speed. The text outlines how waves and lateral water resistance disturb balance, and how sail trimming, changes of canvas, and rudder adjustments restore or alter a vessel's heading. Procedural advice and simple physical reasoning are emphasized over formal mathematics to make maneuvering accessible to working seafarers.