On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:26:18 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 21:07:03 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

However, in your case, I'd cut out that transom on that new boat. That
way you can wash the deck by backing down.

"Backing Down", now that's an interesting expression when you think
about it. We mostly understand what it really means, the curious use
of language not withstanding. So, after you swamp the boat by backing
down, can you get rid of the water by "forwarding up"?

The term has an interesting genesis.

It comes from old sail days and migrated to the early steam paddle
wheelers. There was a term called "backing around" which basically
was a mooring trick - you anchor from the bow, spin the wheel hard
over and the stern will move into the wind. It was also the way to
move the ship sternward to a favorable mooring position.

Backing Down was the successor term which basically means moving in
reverse into the wind (the down part) to achieve positioning in
mooring or in maneuvering.

As to forwarding up, probably not. More likely would be the term
Making Way.