Thanks for this: it's really interesting--I've no practical experience in the matter. I was going mainly on the authorial remark that 'had Nicola been a more experienced sailor' she would have shouted for Foley rather than going ahead and putting the sugar in the petrol. Though perhaps what Forest means by 'more experienced sailor' there is someone with roughly Peter's level of experience, which is just enough, it seems, to paralyze him into inaction in a dangerous situation.