noun
definition
A partly-sheltered anchorage; a stretch of water near the shore where vessels may ride at anchor, but with less protection than a harbour.
Examples of roadstead in a Sentence
The roadstead is one of the finest on the coast of England.
The only roadstead safe all the year round is Temukus on the north coast.
In the 16th century the city was the strongest Spanish fortress in the New World, excepting Cartagena, and gold and silver were brought hither by ship from Peru and were carried across the Isthmus to Chagres, but as Spain's fleets even in the Pacific were more and more often attacked in the 17th century, Panama became less important, though it was still the chief Spanish port on the Pacific. In 1671 the city was destroyed by Henry Morgan, the buccaneer; it was rebuilt in 1673 by Alfonzo Mercado de Villacorta about five miles west of the old site and nearer the roadstead.
But like other cities of Cyprus, it suffered repeatedly from earthquake, and in medieval times when its harbour became silted the population moved to Larnaca, on the open roadstead, farther south.
At Meshed i Sar, the port, or roadstead of Barfurush, the steamers of the Caucasus and Mercury Company call weekly, and a brisk shipping trade is carried on between it and other Caspian ports.
The roadstead is very shallow, and exposed to winds which cause great variations in the height of the water; it is, moreover, rapidly silting up. At the quay the depth of water is only 8 to 9 feet, and large ships have to lie 5 to 13 miles from the town.
Notwithstanding the disadvantages of its open roadstead, the foreign trade has rapidly expanded, the annual value of the exports having increased from 62 millions sterling in 1899 to over ro millions sterling in 1904.
The principal port on the western shore, Listvinichnoe, near the outflow of the Angara, is an open roadstead at the foot of steep mountains.
Before his time the Athenians used as a port the roadstead of Phalerum at the north-eastern corner of Phalerum bay partly sheltered by Cape Kolias.
It was then determined that in the further operations against the mullah the main advance should be from a base on the east coast of Italian Somaliland - the open roadstead of Obbia being chosen.
Elsewhere, too, the Ottoman arms were victorious; in February the Venetians suffered a double defeat in the roadstead of Chios, and the island fell into the hands of the Turks.
The roadstead is exposed to the N.E.
From the roadstead, entrance is by a channel into the outer harbour, which communicates with seven floating basins about 115 acres in area and is accessible to the largest vessels.
Its commerce is much facilitated by the system of canals which bring it into communication with Belgium, the coal-basins of Nord and Pasde-Calais, the rich agricultural regions of Flanders and Artois, and the industrial towns of Lille, Armentieres, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Valenciennes, &c. The roadstead is indicated by lightships and the entrance channel to the port by a lighthouse which, at an altitude of 193 ft., is visible at a distance of 19 m.
The roadstead is tolerably safe, and passing vessels take advantage of it in order to obtain water and fresh provisions, of which Annobon contains an abundant supply.
The only natural harbour is Carlisle Bay on the south-western coast, which, however, is little better than a shallow roadstead, only accessible to light draught vessels.
Outside these harbours is the triangular bay, which forms the roadstead of Cherbourg.
Boston Harbor (originally known as Massachusetts Bay, a name which now has a much broader signification) is the finest roadstead on the coast.
This breakwater changed an open roadstead into a harbour completely sheltered on the most exposed or south-west side; but there was still liability in certain months to storms from the north-west and south-east.
The anchorage in the roadstead is good, but the bay shoals for a long way out, and is exposed to swell from south-west and south.
The harbour of Tetuan is obstructed by a bar, over which only small vessels can pass, and the roadstead, sheltered to the N., N.W.
The shores are rocky, there are no harbours, and the roadstead off Grand Bourg is difficult of access, owing to the surrounding reefs.
Before the opening of the Smyrna-Aidin railway its roadstead was frequented by vessels trading with the Anatolian coast, and it has often been proposed to connect it with the railway system by a branch line, and thus enable it to compete with Smyrna.
At one time the Bu Ragrag afforded a much better harbour than it does now; the roadstead is quite unprotected, and there is a dangerous bar at the mouth of the river, which hampers the shipping, and makes the growth of trade slow.
Progreso, Yucatan, has only an open roadstead, and large vessels cannot approach its landing-place nearer than 6 m.
Ritabel in Larat is the only safe roadstead during the east and west monsoons.
The bay lies midway between Table Bay (Cape Town) and Port Elizabeth roadstead.
Third in importance of the towns on the Moorish coast, unimpeded by bar or serious rocks, the roadstead is exposed to the north-west winds.
The harbour is an open roadstead, very dangerous to shipping in northerly winds, and the discharge and loading of cargoes is effected by means of lighters at considerable risk and expense.
The capital, Benkulen, is on the coast near Pulu Tiku, or Rat Island, in a low and swampy locality, and on an open roadstead.
On the west coast it has no harbours, Madras having a mere open roadstead, but on the east there are many good ports, such as Akyab, Moulmein, Rangoon and Tavoy river.
The port or rather roadstead has a sandy bottom, and is exposed to violent storms from the N.E.
Of the other harbours, Porto Empedocle and Licata share with Catania most of the sulphur export trade, and the other ports of note are Marsala, Trapani, Syracuse (which shares with the roadstead of Mazzarelli the asphalt export trade).
There is a harbour, only accessible to small vessels; the roadstead outside is safe and has deep water a mile to the east of the fortress.
Its port has a depth of 4 to 6 fathoms, and a roadstead 32 m.
Its harbour consists of an outer and inner anchorage, the former an open roadstead, which are separated by a remarkable stone reef running parallel with the shore-line, leaving an inside passage 400 to 500 ft.
As the mouth of the river is obstructed by a bar and its current is swift, the anchorage is outside in an open roadstead, only slightly protected on the south.
The anchorage is an open roadstead protected to some extent by headlands with a lighthouse at Santapalli.
Cheribon has a good open roadstead.
Its roadstead is sheltered by Madura, and it has important dockyards.
The port consists of an outer harbour, the so-called "rade" (roadstead) and the port proper, and occupies the course of the Adour from its mouth, which is obstructed by a shifting bar, to the Pont St Esprit, and the course of the Nive as far as the Pont Mayou.
Though superior in force, D'Estaing would not attack the English in the roadstead, but set sail to attack Savannah.
The anchorage is an open roadstead, with two lighthouses.
But trade is now passing over to Haifa, at the south side of the bay, as its harbour offers a safer roadstead, and is a regular calling .place for steamers.
The roadstead is perfectly sheltered and so deep that the largest vessels can lie within a few yards of the shore.
The port is available for small boats only; steamers anchor in the roadstead about a quarter of a mile from the shore.
If she failed, she bound herself to cede to Bolivia the roadstead (caleta) of Vitor, or another analogous one, and $5,000,000 silver.
The Don, which has here a breadth of 230 to 250 yds., with a hardly perceptible current, offers an excellent roadstead.
The convenience of reaching the eastern district by boat was then recognized and advantage taken of the roadstead sheltered by Cape Recife.
In 1799, during the first occupation of Cape Colony by the British, Colonel (afterwards General Sir John) Vandeleur, to guard the roadstead, built a small fort on the hill west of the Baaken's River.