NavList:

Surprise, racing towards destruction under a great spread of canvas, put her helm alee, hauled on an unseen spring leading from her larboard cathead to the towline, and spun about like a cutter.

I never quite understood that paragraph.  Presumably he tacked rather than wearing ship.  Was the idea that the drag from the prize continuing on its original path initially would help pull Surprise’s bow through the wind while her energy caused her stern to slew around, a bit like a handbrake turn?  Then, when sailing on the new tack Surprise would pull the prize around via the normal tow-line. DaveP