It's Winding (as in hurricane) because canny boaters used the wind where they could to help turn the boat, adding to momentum, snatching the fore-end around with the horse, shafting (bow-thrusters for the rest of us, defined as someone at the sharp end pushing with a dirty great pole), etc.
As we all know, a contrary wind is an absolute b****r (especially when there are other boats about, such as in the wharf basin at Market Drayton) even when turning with the motor. A line onto the bank is de rigueur in these circumstances ) There are some great pictures about (Barlows crew turning one boat of a pair at the head of Wolvercote mill stream at Oxford (off Duke's Cut) to let them steer in and out of the mill-stream to / from the University paper mills, and some great accounts (In Hold On A Minute - Turning a pair breasted up in one go in Brentford Dock, and in - I THINK - Maiden's trip, of a GUCCC steerer winding on the Regent's , gingerly checking the depth with the cabin shaft as the stern gets close to the towing path) My favourite technique when winding a trip boat on the river Lee was to push the upstream end out , letting the current catch it and bring it downstream, and nipping to the other end, untying it and hauling it upstream. No diesel and very little effort. Ray Butler Nb Owl [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
