Williamson turn

The Williamson turn is the classic man-overboard recovery manoeuvre. Sequence: full rudder toward the side the casualty went overboard, hold until 60° off original heading, then full rudder opposite way, hold until on reciprocal heading. The ship retraces its wake to approximately the casualty's original position. Preferred at night or in reduced visibility because it reliably returns to the casualty's location without needing continuous visual contact. Alternatives — Anderson turn (fastest), Scharnov turn (fuel-efficient) — trade off between speed + reliability. Every OOW drills all three.