a barque was coming more than usually close about the point to reach her moorings

[shootingstar]

A large barque, perhaps of eighteen hundred tons, was coming more than usually close about the point to reach her moorings; and I was observing her with languid inattention, when I observed two men to stride across the bulwarks, drop into a shore boat, and, violently dispossessing the boatman of his oars, pull toward the landing where I stood.
(The Wrecker by R. L. Stevenson and L. Osbourne, chapter viii, published 1892)

Please, what does was coming . . . about or come about mean in this context?

 

[Skrej]

The ship was turning to heads towards the dock, but got closer to the end of the peninsula than ships usually did.

See the entries for the nautical term 'come about' and the geographical term 'point' (entry #23).

 

[shootingstar]

Thank you very much.
In your reply there is the expression turn to heads, which I don't know. What does that mean?

 

[PeterCW]

I think it is a typo. I read it as "head towards".

 

[shootingstar]

Thank you. Do you mean The ship was turning . . .to head towards the dock (to head for the dock = infinitive clause) ?