(overly technical nautical answer ahoy)

except of course that the last thing you want in a bad storm while out at sea is a heavy helm due to dragging hundreds of pounds of iron off the bow. This keeps you from safely broaching each wave. What you actually want is a drouge which doesn’t weigh much at all, but fills with water to act as a slowing force keeping the boat aligned perpendicular to the waves direction of travel. If you are running with the wind (the wind is from astern) you throw the drogue off the stern, if you are sitting still (no power or no sails and not enough wind to run downwind or the wind is going the wrong direction you want to go) then you throw the drogue off the bow.

Either way, it is much safer and lighter weight than a chain with an anchor.