During a storm, if a ship is being blown toward a hazard, the crew can drop the anchors on the windward side of the ship (the side facing the wind) in order to stop the ship from running aground or wrecking. Such an "anchor to windward" is a final effort, when the hope of forward progress has been abandoned, and danger or disaster is at hand. Ships commonly have more than one anchor, so the use of the plural "anchors to windward," the indefinite article, or like constructions is also correct.
The phrase "anchor to windward" is also commonly used as a metaphor for a "last hope," with the ship understood to represent the protagonist, or subject. Often, the metaphor is extended to "losing an anchor to windward," or "losing one's anchor to windward," as a reference to the loss of a/the last hope, and the presence of an impending catastrophe.
The cast of The Windward Anchor - 1916 includes: Myrtle Gonzalez as Mrs. Jamison Frank Newburg as Mr. Jamison Antrim Short
The side of a mountain or hill facing the wind.
A birds beak or the point of an anchor or the visor of a cap
a very heavy piece of poo
The ships drifted west, leaving the island quite a distance to windward. Cut her slightly more to windward, bosun. We'll round this buoy to windward.
windward windward windward
the windward islands
Windward Passages was created in 1980.
The Windward Road was created in 1956.
Windward Reports was created in 1994.
Look to Windward was created in 2000.
Windward School was created in 1971.