What is "sea anchor"

Drag \Drag\, n. [See Drag, v. t., and cf. Dray a cart, and 1st Dredge.]

1. The act of dragging; anything which is dragged.

2. A net, or an apparatus, to be drawn along the bottom under water, as in fishing, searching for drowned persons, etc.

3. A kind of sledge for conveying heavy bodies; also, a kind of low car or handcart; as, a stone drag.

4. A heavy coach with seats on top; also, a heavy carriage. [Collog.]
   --Thackeray.

5. A heavy harrow, for breaking up ground.

6. 1. Anything towed in the water to retard a ship's progress, or to keep her head up to the wind; esp., a canvas bag with a hooped mouth, so used. See Drag sail (below).

   2. Also, a skid or shoe, for retarding the motion of a carriage wheel.

   3. Hence, anything that retards; a clog; an obstacle to progress or enjoyment.

      My lectures were only a pleasure to me, and no drag.
      --J. D. Forbes.

7. Motion affected with slowness and difficulty, as if clogged. ``Had a drag in his walk.'' -- Hazlitt.

8. (Founding) The bottom part of a flask or mold, the upper part being the cope.

9. (Masonry) A steel instrument for completing the dressing of soft stone.

10. (Marine Engin.) The difference between the speed of a screw steamer under sail and that of the screw when the ship outruns the screw; or between the propulsive effects of the different floats of a paddle wheel. See Citation under Drag, v. i., 3.

    Drag sail (Naut.), a sail or canvas rigged on a stout frame, to be dragged by a vessel through the water in order to keep her head to the wind or to prevent drifting; -- called also drift sail, drag sheet, drag anchor, sea anchor, floating anchor, etc.

    Drag twist (Mining), a spiral hook at the end of a rod for cleaning drilled holes.

n. (context nautical English) A parachute-like device designed to slow down the speed of a drift ship or boat.

n. restraint consisting of a canvas covered frame that floats behind a vessel; prevents drifting or maintains the heading into a wind [syn: drogue]

A sea anchor (also known as a drift anchor, drift sock, para-anchor or boat brake) is a device used to stabilize a boat in heavy weather. Rather than tethering the boat to the seabed, the sea anchor increases the drag through the water and thus acts as a brake. When attached to the stern of a vessel, a sea anchor can prevent the vessel from turning broadside to the waves and being overwhelmed by them.

Often similar in design to the sea anchor is the usually smaller drogue, which is attached to the stern and intended to slow the boat for better control.