Three sheets to the wind

Posted by Robert Gramcko on October 10, 2009 at 08:40

"Three sheets to the wind". From my experience, I doubt the accepted source is loose sheets and flapping sails. Under those conditions, the boat bobs in one spot. Moreover the sheets are down wind. However, when a sailboat is hoved to, the sheet are up wind and the boat can hobby horse around 30 to 90 degrees. Hoved to better fits the meaning of drunken motion.