An area near the shore, where vessels can anchor in safety, usually a wide indentation in the coast, affording less protection than a harbor. One with relatively little protection may be called an "open roadstead." Also called road.
A roadstead is a place outside a harbor where a ship can lie at anchor. It is an enclosed area with an opening to the sea, narrower than a bay or gulf. It has a surface that cannot be confused with an estuary.