In sailing, a maneuver where a boat turns away from the wind and then tacks back on the opposite side, or a rope used for this purpose.
From 'back' (Old English bæc, meaning the rear) + 'tack' (from Middle Dutch tack, meaning a course or direction). Naval terminology combining direction language with sailing movement.
Backtacking is one of those practical solutions sailors invented—if a simple tack doesn't work, you go backward first to build momentum or angle, showing how mariners developed complex problem-solving techniques for invisible forces.
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