Hulling,
Is when a Ship is at sea, and hath taken in all her sailes, in calme weather: It is done to save the sailes from beating-out against the Masts, but in fowle weather when they are able to beare no saile, the manner is no more, but taking in all the sailes, and tying downe the helme to the Lee-side of the Ship (and so if she be a good conditioned Ship) she will lie easily under the sea, and thus she makes her way one point afore the beame, that is, if the wind be at West, and the Ship looke South, she will make way East, and by South, which is one point afore the beame: the beame will beare East and West. It is not yet agreed amongst all Sea-men, whether it be better for a Ship to hull with her top-mast up or downe: the most received opinion is, to have her down, in respect that generally they suppose the weight aloft will make her steele the more dangerously in a storme. But besides (the experience which I have seene to the contrary) I can give this reason, why it is best in a dangerous and desperate storme, to hull with the top-masts up; all sea-men will confesse, that the weather Seele is the most dangerous Seele, and therefore must grant, that that is the safest hulling which doth most prevent the danger of the Seele: If her top-masts be downe when she Seeles to Lee-ward, the lesse weight over-bead she hath to hinder her from comming, and rowling back over a∣gaine to wind-ward, the faster she will Seele-over, and the shorter: so that meeting the wind-ward sea so short, and suddenly it may en∣danger to breake in and founder her, but if the top-Mast be up, she must needs be the longer in comming-up to wind-ward, and so meete the sea with more ease, that it may have more leisure to breake a way under her; yet it is true, she will make the greater Lee-Seele, but in that there is no danger, though to an unexperienced man, there may seeme to be.