How to sailing ships back up?

[RangerWickett]

I just realized that I don't know how a sailing ship docked in a harbor backs up so it can leave harbor. Does it just have to use oars?

 

[green slime]

They have little boats (I cannot for the lie of me remember what they are called: lighters? ), that they put sailors in, these sailors row the little boats and drag the Ship backwards.

Launches. Every decent sized ship has them. At least they should, if you are going to be able to put men ashore at all without a wharf. They are also used to when you need to pull the ship off a shoal.

 

[random user]

Lots and lots of hamsters. Substitute gnomes if you don't have enough hamsters. Failing that a mage that can control winds. Failing that, launches.

 

[Thalantor]

If it's a one master, then you can position the forward sail such that you can move the ship back as long as the ship is docked upwind. If the ship is docked downwind that you should fire the captain.

If the ship has two or more masts, then it gets pulled out the docks by horses along the quai or rowing boats.