The sea-mans dictionary, or, An exposition and demonstration of all the parts and things belonging to a shippe together with an explanation of all the termes and phrases used in the practique of navigation / composed by Henry Manwaring ...

A Roade.

Is any place where a ship may ride neare the Land and yet cannot ride-land-locked for all winds: A good Roade is, where there is good ground for Anchor-hold, showle-water, and so as how ere the wind-blow, there can no great sea-gate come-in, being the Land may be in the wind, on one side, and some sands, Rocks, or the like, to breake of the sea on the other; (Also we say, if it be a place, as in divers places of Barbery and others) where the sea will give a man warning, that is, the sea will come swelling-in before the wind, as at Saint Sa∣phe, of any fowle weather, so that a man may have time, to set-saile and goe to some other Roade, on the other side of the Bay-head-land, or the like, this we call shifting of Roades; A wild Roade, is a Roade where there is little Land on any side, but lies all open to the sea: as to ride upon a head-land, or alongst a shore, where there is no Bay, nor any thing to breake off the sea, or wind if it come off the sea. A bad Roade is the contrary to the good.