Simple Guide

## Ranging Shots

Naval
 Action is aimed manually which makes it difficult to hit targets
especially at longer ranges. The best practice is to fire single shots
and watch where they fall to judge where to aim rather then wasting a
whole broadside. Single ranging shots can be fired using the **Space Bar** and rounds can then be spotted through the telescope using **Shift** key. Eventually when the aim is good, the broadside can be released with the **Left Mouse**.

## Compensating for Heeling

   While sailing, your ship will heel away from the wind. This can prevent you from elevating you guns high enough when firing leeward or lowering your elevation enough when firing windward.

This can be compensated for by lowering the sails enough to straighten out your ship. Using the **B** key for battle sails or the **T** key to depower can be enough to fix excess heeling.

Rough seas will heel your ship unpredictably and require patience and timing to hit the enemy.

## Points of Sail

The heading of a ship relative to the wind is a large factor in
performance and is decribed as the Point of Sail.  Different ships will
perform better at certain points than others.  This largely depends on
their type of [[1]] .

### **In Irons (A)**

When a ship is facing close enough to the wind that the sails no longer work, it is in irons.
### **Close Hauled (B)**

This point is when a ship is sailing as upwind as it can without going
into irons.  When a ship crosses through Irons from one close hauled
side to another it is called tacking.

### **Beam Reach (C)**

When a ship is at right angle to the wind.
### **Broad Reach (D)**

A ship heading downwind but not running is said to be in a Broad Reach.
### **Running With The Wind(E)**

A ship heading directly downwind.  Suprisingly it is not as fast as a Broad Reach for most ships.
## Manual Sails and Tacking

### **Manual Skipper**

By default, theAuto Skipper on your ship will adjust your sails to their best position
for speed.  Naval Action allows you to change the direction of your
sails on the foremast (Q and E) and aftmast (Z and C).  When you change
the direction of your sails, the ship enters Manual Skipper and the
sails will maintain their angle indefinetely.  The Auto Skipper can be re-engaged with the F key.

Ships smaller than a Brig can usually rely on their inate speed andmanuverability without having to utilize Manual Skipper.  As you get
into larger ships however, it becomes advantageous to use manual sails
to increase manuverablity.

### **Tacking with Manual Sails**

When tacking, a ship must turn from one side of the wind to the other.Smaller ships can rely on having enough momentum to maintain steering
through irons and resume sailing on the other close haul.  Larger ships
have a harder time getting through the wind and can end up
dead in the water at
 critical moments.  It's important to watch the speed of the ship during
 a tack to know whether the steering is reversed.

1. Steer the desired course until the ship starts reversing negative speed
2. Steer the opposite direction when the ship starts to sail backwards

1. Turn

 the rear sail perpendicular to the wind (Z or C).  The foresail should
continue to push the ship backwards and force the bow to the other side

1. Return to Auto Skipper (F) and steer hard over until underway

## Stern Camping and Counter

Stern Camping is a
term referring to a tactic that can be employed usually by a smaller
ship vs a less manuverable opponent.  The stern camper attempts to stay
directly behind the enemy ship while periodically raking their stern.
 This allows the smaller ship to avoid their broadside and do damage to
an especially vulnerable part of the enemy ship.