The spelling of the phrase "wast offing" might seem strange to some, but it is actually an archaic term that was commonly used in the past to refer to a distant part of the sea. The word "wast" is an old-fashioned way of spelling "west", while "offing" refers to the part of the sea that is visible from the shore. Using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), the pronunciation of "wast offing" would be /wɑst ɔfɪŋ/. Despite its archaic nature, this term can still be found in some literary works and historical documents.