Sea Anchor, Lockheed Sirius "Tingmissartoq"

Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, brought along this sea 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 their specially-modified floatplane on lakes, rivers, and even open ocean. They needed strong anchors to prevent their plane from moving with the wind or tide during their several stops. Made of canvas, this sea anchor would not provide much stability on its own, but it could be used in addition to stronger anchors when waters were particularly rough.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.