Roadstead

A roadstead is a sheltered body of water where ships can lie reasonably safely at anchor without dragging or snatching, offering protection from rough sea conditions but, unlike a port, no direct access to shore. Roadsteads serve as a safe waiting area for ships before they enter a port or form a convoy, and where shelter is good enough they also support transshipment, the transfer of cargo, supplies or people either directly between vessels or by smaller lighters and barges. In the age of sail, ships commonly waited in roadsteads such as the Downs off England's Channel coast or Yarmouth Roads on the North Sea until the wind turned favorable, and maritime law recognizes a roadstead as a convenient and safe place where boats customarily anchor, distinct from a formal harbor.