It's what a crew agrees on that's important. I've done a lot of crewing in ocean racing and as long as we're all on the same page...Also Pete, I was referring to novices and learning as they go. But if you've got a novice foredeck and mast crew on a 50 footer in a force 8 and you've gotten youself that fouled with a lee shore...personally, I don't plan on being there...but I think the call would be:

"WE'RE F****D! PREPARE TO RUN AGROUND! STAND CLEAR THE SPLINTERING FIBERGLAS! FINGER BEADS IF YOU GOT 'EM!

Like you, don't sound like my idea of a good time!!!

catspaw