Sentence:  When the tropic night closed down upon the battered "Renown", as she <WSD>stood off</WSD> the land under easy sail, just enough to stiffen her to ride easily over the Atlantic rollers that the trade wind, reinforced by the sea breeze, sent hurrying under her bows, Buckland sat anxiously discussing the situation with his new first lieutenant. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To move away from shore.