Sentence:  However, what with the help of this Ebb, and our Boats, we by Noon had got an <WSD>Offing</WSD> of 1 1/2 or 2 Miles, yet we could hardly flatter ourselves with hopes of getting Clear ... 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The distance that a ship at sea keeps away from land, often because of navigational dangers, fog and other hazards; a position at a distance from shore.