Anchor, Lockheed Sirius "Tingmissartoq", Lindbergh

Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, brought along this anchor when they flew their Lockheed Sirius aircraft to the Orient in 1931 and across the North and South Atlantic in 1933. On both trips the Lindberghs landed the specially-modified floatplane on lakes, rivers, and even open ocean along their route. They needed strong anchors to prevent their plane from moving with the wind or tide during their several stops. While flying they stored the anchor in the plane's pontoons.During their 1931 trip, one of the Lindberghs' anchor ropes was cut free by the sharp edge of a rock while they were stopped off the Japanese island of Shimushiru. As the airplane began to drift, nearby sailors came to the rescue and stopped the plane before it crashed into the rocky coast. The episode proved to Charles and Anne that strong anchors alone were not enough to protect their plane: safe harbors were also necessary. From then on they tried to avoid landing in the open ocean, opting instead for the calm waters of lakes, rivers, and bays.