l) A boat rides to her anchor. When anchored by night she must show an all-round white light (two in some cases) known as a Riding light. In ordinary English a boat will ‘ride out’ a storm, but that has nothing to do with being anchored, she can do it while hove-to, or with bare poles, and the implication is one of riding the seas.
2) A rope is said to ride on another when it crosses over and jams it. The most common use of the word is in connection with the sheet winches of modern sailing boats, when the loaded part rides over the hauling part and nips it tight, a situation known as a Riding turn.