In Irons?

[Shade325]

p.13 of the Player's Guide says:

Quote:

Note: A wind-propelled ship that turns into the wind (its forward facing is pointed in the opposite direction from the wind) is said to be “in irons” and takes the uncontrolled action until its pilot turns it to face another direction.

So a ship "in irons" takes the uncontrolled action unless the pilot takes another action. Isn't this just how it works regardless of if the ship is "in irons"? My understanding is either the pilot spends an action to move the ship or it takes the uncontrolled action. It seems like being "in irons" has no unique effect. What am I missing.

Shade325

[Zaranorth]

I think it means that it can't take actions such as Full Ahead since the wind is wrong. If the pilot tries to do that, the ship takes an Uncontrolled action instead.

[Trinite]

Right, in my reading the only options are Uncontrolled action or Turn.

[Robert G. McCreary]

That's correct. A pilot can choose to do nothing, in which case the ship is "uncontrolled," but if the ship is in irons, the pilot can take no actions other than uncontrolled or turn.