diff --git a/src/functional_tests/test_game_room_select_sea.py b/src/functional_tests/test_game_room_select_sea.py
index f4fa907..0455c99 100644
--- a/src/functional_tests/test_game_room_select_sea.py
+++ b/src/functional_tests/test_game_room_select_sea.py
@@ -92,19 +92,29 @@ class PickSeaAsyncTransitionTest(ChannelsFunctionalTest):
         """)
 
     def test_pick_sea_btn_visible_after_sky_confirm(self):
-        """Confirming sky reloads the room to the hex w. DRAW SEA replacing
-        CAST SKY; the sea overlay is NOT auto-opened."""
+        """Confirming sky lands the room on the hex w. DRAW SEA in place of CAST
+        SKY; the sea overlay is NOT auto-opened. (A direct-POST confirm has no
+        captured chart on this browser, so _onSkyConfirmed reloads to the server-
+        rendered DRAW SEA hex; the felt-save path eases there via the cascade.)"""
         self.create_pre_authenticated_session("founder@test.io")
         self.browser.get(self.room_url)
 
-        # Sky not yet confirmed — CAST SKY btn present.
+        # Sky not yet confirmed — CAST SKY is the live (non --out) phase btn.
         self.wait_for(lambda: self.browser.find_element(By.ID, "id_pick_sky_btn"))
 
         self._confirm_sky()
 
-        # Page reloads → hex shows DRAW SEA in place of CAST SKY.
-        self.wait_for(lambda: self.browser.find_element(By.ID, "id_pick_sea_btn"))
-        self.assertEqual(self.browser.find_elements(By.ID, "id_pick_sky_btn"), [])
+        # DRAW SEA becomes the live phase btn; CAST SKY stays in the phase-stack
+        # but goes --out (the buttons cross-fade in one grid cell now, so the
+        # stale CAST SKY is hidden via the class, not removed from the DOM).
+        self.wait_for(lambda: self.assertNotIn(
+            "hex-phase-btn--out",
+            self.browser.find_element(By.ID, "id_pick_sea_btn").get_attribute("class"),
+        ))
+        self.assertIn(
+            "hex-phase-btn--out",
+            self.browser.find_element(By.ID, "id_pick_sky_btn").get_attribute("class"),
+        )
 
         # Sea overlay is NOT auto-opened — it only appears once the gamer
         # clicks DRAW SEA.
diff --git a/src/templates/apps/gameboard/_partials/_sky_overlay.html b/src/templates/apps/gameboard/_partials/_sky_overlay.html
index e6bf4a5..2c538e4 100644
--- a/src/templates/apps/gameboard/_partials/_sky_overlay.html
+++ b/src/templates/apps/gameboard/_partials/_sky_overlay.html
@@ -542,14 +542,19 @@
   }
 
   // ── Sky confirmed (self-targeted WS) ──────────────────────────────────────
-  // The acting gamer's own SAVE .then() already revealed the wheel; the WS
-  // event just re-asserts the saved state (idempotent). No reload — the gamer
-  // lingers on the saved wheel; the gear NVM does the navigation back to the
-  // hex (now DRAW SEA). A second browser of the same seat with no captured
-  // chart no-ops here (rare) and reconciles on its next load.
-
+  // Two cases:
+  //   • This browser captured the chart (the gamer saved via the felt) → the
+  //     save .then() already ran the cascade; this WS re-fire is idempotent
+  //     (re-asserts the saved state, no second cascade, no reload).
+  //   • No captured chart (a direct POST confirm, or another browser of the same
+  //     seat) → the cascade can't run, so reload to land on the server-rendered
+  //     DRAW SEA hex (the pre-cascade behaviour, preserved for these paths).
   function _onSkyConfirmed() {
-    _activateSavedState();
+    if (_lastChartData) {
+      _activateSavedState();
+    } else {
+      window.location.reload();
+    }
   }
 
   // ── DEL btn — JS-injected after the wheel paints; absent on a blank modal