sailboat quotes

75+ Best Sailing Quotes for Your Inner Sailor

The freedom that comes with casting off the lines and heading out into open water is something many authors, poets, and explorers have aimed to express in words.

This list contains the best sailing quotes, whether from a famous writer or an avid sailor.

Many of these famous quotes about sailing are inspirational, while others represent the challenges of a sailing lifestyle. Other sayings on the list are sailing metaphors for life – inspiration for all sailors, world travelers, and adventurers!

Find a specfic type of sailing quote in the sections below, or browse all the quotes.

Sail Away Quotes

Below are sailor sayings that express what it feels like to live on the ocean. These quotes make you want to cast off the lines and sail away with no plan for return to port.

1. “There is nothing more enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving than the life at sea.” —  Joseph Conrad, Polish-British Writer

2. “I wanted freedom, open air, and adventure. I found it on the sea.” —  Alaine Gerbault, French Sailor

3. “Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.” —  Van Morrison, Irish Singer-Songwriter

4. “Flying might not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price.” —  Amelia Earhart, American Aviation Pioneer & Author

5. “A man is never lost at sea.” —  Ernest Hemingway, American Writer

6. “It is not that life ashore is distasteful to me. But life at sea is better.” ―  Sir Francis Drake, English Explorer

7. “The days pass happily with me wherever my ship sails.” —   Joshua Slocum, First Person to Single-Hand Circumnavigate

8. “For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it’s always our self we find in the sea.” — E.E. Cummings, American Poet & Author

9. “To young men contemplating a voyage, I’d say go.” — Joshua Slocum, First Person to Single-Hand Circumnavigate

Inspirational Sailing Quotes

These are our favorite sailing and sailboat quotes that capture the feeling of a day on the water.

10. “A bad day sailing is 100 times better than a good day at work.” —  Unknown

11. “Hark, now hear the sailors cry, smell the sea, and feel the sky let your soul and spirit fly, into the mystic.” — Van Morrison, Northern Irish Singer & Songwriter

12. “It’s out there at sea that you are really yourself.” — Vito Dumas, Argentine Solo Sailor & Circumnavigator

13. “You haven’t lived until you’ve sailed.” — David Sedaris, Theft by Finding: Diaries

14. “The sail, the play of its pulse so like our own lives: so thin and yet so full of life, so noiseless when it labors hardest, so noisy and impatient when least effective.” — Henry David Thoreau, American Poet & Philosopher

15. “On a day when the wind is perfect, the sail just needs to open and the world is full of beauty.” — Rumi, Persian Poet

16. “Confronting a storm is like fighting God. All the powers in the universe seem to be against you and, in an extraordinary way, your irrelevance is at the same time both humbling and exalting.” — Francis LeGrande

Sailing Quotes About Life

These are our favorite sailing quotes that are metaphors for life and translate to its many challenges and struggles.

17. “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” ―  Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch Post-Impressionist Painter

18. “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” ―  Louisa May Alcott, American Poet

19. “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” ―  Seneca, Roman Philosopher

20. “I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.” ― William Ernest Henley, English Poet & Writer

21. “Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.” —  Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean

22. “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” ―  Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Philosopher

23. “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” ―  William Arthur Ward, American Writer

24. “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ―  Mark Twain, American Writer

25. “On life’s vast ocean, diversely we sail. Reasons the card, but passion the gale.” ―  Alexander Pope, English Poet

26. “One’s destination is never a place, but always a new way of seeing things.” —  Henry Miller, American Writer & Artist

27. “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” —  Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd U.S. President

28. “You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer

29. “Any fool can carry on, but a wise man knows how to shorten sail in time.” ―  Joseph Conrad,   Polish-British Writer

30. “There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.” — Willa Cather, American Writer

Cruising Quotes

These quotes are for the full-time cruisers living a life on the water. These are some of our favorite sayings about modern-day life on a sailboat.

31. “To be successful at sea, we must keep things simple.” ―   Pete Culler, Author & Renowned Wooden Boat Builder

32. “Go small, go simple, go now.” ―  Larry Pardey, Sailor & Writer

33. “At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much.” —  Robin Lee Graham, American Sailor

34. “The single commandment of anchoring is ‘thou shall create scope.'” ― Reese Palley, Art Dealer & Circumnavigator

35. “The charm of singlehanded cruising is not solitude, but independence.” — Claud Worth, Master Mariner & Writer

36. “The lovely thing about cruising is that planning usually turns out to be of little use.” —  Dom Degnon, Yacht Broker & Freelance Writer

37. “Cruising is fixing your boat in exotic locations.” —  Unknown

38. “Home is where the anchor drops.” —  Unknown

39. “If you are going to do something, do it now. Tomorrow is too late.”   —  Pete Goss, British Sailor

40. “The planning stage of a cruise is often just as enjoyable as the voyage itself, letting one’s imagination loose on all kinds of possibilities. Yet translating dreams into reality means a lot of practical questions have to be answered.” —  Jimmy Cornell, British Sailor & Author

41. “It’s remarkable how quickly a good and favorable wind can sweep away the maddening frustrations of shore living.” —  Ernest K. Gann, American Sailor & Author

Sailing and Adventure Quotes from Novels

These quotes are from some of our favorite novels. They encapsulate life on the water, the sailing lifestyle, and seeking adventure!

42. “Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.” —  Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

43. “To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live.” ―  Hans Christian Andersen, The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography

44. “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” ―  Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild

45. “The truths of the sea, like the truths of the soul, cannot be reduced to numbers.” ― Webb Chiles, The Ocean Waits

46. “There is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. In or out of ’em, it doesn’t matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that’s the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don’t; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you’re always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you’ve done it there’s always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you’d much better not.” —  Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

Quotes About Ships

Whether as vessels of exploration, symbols of resilience, or metaphors for life’s journey, ships have long captured the esscense of the adventurer’s spirit.

47. “A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” ―  John A. Shedd, American Author

48. “The goal is not to sail the boat, but rather to help the boat sail herself.” — John Rousmaniere, American Author

49. “It’s not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that’s what a ship needs but what a ship is…what the Black Pearl really is…is freedom.” —  Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean

50. “A sailing vessel is alive in a way that no ship with mechanical power ever be.” ― Aubrey de Selincourt, English Writer

51. “Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made, for somewhere deep in their oaken hearts the soul of a song is laid.” — Robert N. Rose, Poet

Ocean Quotes

These quotes are specifically about the ocean or the sea. If you are a sailor or beach lover, I’m sure you love to romanticize the sea, and these quotes will resonate with you.

52. “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” ―  Jacques Yves Cousteau, French Naval Officer

53. “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.” ―  John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. President

54. “Dance with the waves, move with the sea, let the rhythm of the water set your soul free.” ―  Christy Ann Martine, Canadian Poet

55. “At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun.” ―  Sandy Gingras, Writer & Illustrator

56. “Every time I slip into the ocean, it’s like going home.” ―  Sylvia Earle, American Marine Biologist

57. “If there’s a heaven for me, I’m sure it has a beach attached to it.” ―  Jimmy Buffett, American Singer-Songwriter

58. “The sea is a desert of waves, a wilderness of water.” —  Langston Hughes, American Poet

Funny Sailing Quotes

This selection features funny sailing quotes from poets, writers, and modern-day cruisers, that explore the lighter side of life at sea.

59. “Sailing – The fine art of slowly going nowhere at great expense while being cold, wet, and miserable.” — Irv Heller

60. “The sea speaks a language polite people never repeat. It is a colossal scavenger slang and has no respect.” — Carl Sandburg, American Poet

61. “Any damn fool can navigate the world sober. It takes a really good sailor to do it drunk.” —  Sir Francis Chichester, Sailor & Author (First Man to Single-Hand Circumnavigate Non-Stop)

62. “Later down the road of life, I made the discovery that salt water was also good for the mental abrasions one inevitably acquires on land.” — Jimmy Buffett, American Singer-Songwriter (A Pirate Looks at Fifty)

63. “Only two sailors, in my experience, never ran aground. One never left port, and the other was an atrocious liar.” —  Don Bamford, Sailor & Author

64. “The chance for mistakes is about equal to the number of crew squared.” — Ted Turner, Entrepreneur & America’s Cup Winner

65. “Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit.” ‍‍— Brooks Atkinson, American Theatre Critic

66. “When the draught of your vessel exceeds the depth of the water, you are most assuredly, aground.” — Ian Walsh

67. “A sailor is an artist whose medium is the wind. Live passionately, even if it kills you, because something is going to kill you anyway.” — Webb Chiles , Writer & Sailor

68. “Being hove to in a long gale is the most boring way of being terrified, I know.” — Donald Hamilton, American Writer

69. “If we get lost, we’ll just pull in somewhere and ask directions.” — Captain Ron Rico (Captain Ron)

70. “The only way to get a good crew is to marry one.” — Eric Hiscock, British Sailor & Author

Sailing Quotes from Movies

These unforgettable sailing quotes are all from the silver screen, where the sea has played a starring role in captivating audiences for decades.

71. “A diesel loves her oil same as a sailor loves rum.” — Captain Ron Rico (Captain Ron)

72. “It’s not just sails and knots, it’s seeing where you’re going in your mind. Knowing where you are by knowing where you’ve been.” — Maui (Moana)

73. “You know, there have been more people in space than have sailed around the world. I didn’t even know it was something you can do, but you can, and I want to. ‘Cause I’m an adventurer.” — Jessica Watson (True Spirit)

74. “You can’t run from the wind. You trim your sails, face the music, and keep going.”  — Captain Christopher “Skipper” Sheldon (White Squall)

75. “Now…bring me that horizon.” —  Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)

76. “But it ain’t all buttons and charts, little albatross. You know what the first rule of flying is? Love. You can learn all the math in the ‘Verse, but you take a boat in the air that you don’t love, she’ll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells you she’s hurtin’ ‘fore she keens. Makes her a home.” — Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Serenity)

READ NEXT: Check out many of the movies that feature these quotes on our sailing movies list .

Share your favorite sailing quotes.

I hope you were inspired or even nodded along in agreement with some of the sailor sayings on this list.

I’m sure I’m missing some other famous sailing quotes, so feel free to leave your favorite nautical saying in the comments below or even a personal quote that resonates with you!

RELATED ARTICLES

If you liked this list of sailing quotes, you will find many of these authors, songwriters, and actors on our other lists below.

• 25 Epic Sailing Songs for Sailors & Modern-Day Pirates
• 35 Inspiring Books for Sailors
• 17 Best Sailing Movies & Documentaries
• 51 Inspiring Camping Quotes & Captions

Hungry for more sailing inspiration?

Check out our lists of sailing movies, songs, books, and more to inspire this lifestyle.

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Morgan, the founder of The Home That Roams, has been living nomadically for over five years. She began her journey traveling across the U.S. in a motorhome and cruising on a liveaboard sailing catamaran. Currently, she lives full-time in a travel trailer, sharing resources on RV living and boat life to help others downsize their lives and thrive in an alternative lifestyle.

Id rather be lost at sea then found at work…..Anon.

I can definitely relate to this one!

The cost of good navigation is constant vigilance.

All sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable. They live in the varying outer weather and inhale its fickleness – and when retained for any object remote and blank in the pursuit, however promissory of life and passion in the end, it is above all things requisite that temporary interests and employments should intervene to hold them healthily suspended for the final dash. – Herman Melville, Moby Dick

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The 74 Best Sailing Quotes

Ever since its inception, sailing has been linked to a sense of freedom and drive for adventure out on the sea. For many centuries, sailors were considered to be bold and courageous people willing to risk their lives for fortune and honor.

Many people have tried to express the freedom and enjoyment of sailing through words and quotes.

Many great men and women have fallen in love with sailing over the years, giving birth to a practically endless series of funny, happy and inspirational quotes.

Below you will find a comprehensive list of our personal favorites.

Inspirational Sailing Quotes

Our favorite inspirational sailing quotes to get you inspired and motivated are below.

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ‍ ‍-Mark Twain

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore” ‍ ‍-Christopher Columbus

“Sailors, with their built-in sense of order, service and discipline, should really be running the world.” ‍ ‍-Nicholas Monsarrat

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” ‍ ‍-William Arthur Ward

“A bad day sailing is 100 times better than a good day at work.” ‍ ‍-An Unknown Sailor

“Who is staring at the sea is already sailing a little” ‍ ‍-Paul Carvel

“There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.” ‍ ‍-Willa Cather

“I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky. And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.” ‍ ‍-John Masefield

“To be successful at sea we must keep things simple.” ‍ ‍-Pete Culler

“The sea is the same as it has been since before men ever went on it in boats.” ‍ ‍-Ernest Hemingway

“Nothing comes sailing by itself” ‍ ‍-Alexander Dale Oen

“The goal is not to sail the boat, but rather to help the boat sail herself” ‍ ‍-John Rousmaniere

“Until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore, you will not know the terror of being forever lost at sea.” ‍ ‍-Charles Cook

“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.” ‍ ‍-William Sheed

“To young men contemplating a voyage I would say go” ‍ ‍-Joshua Slocum

“To desire nothing beyond what you have is surely happiness. Aboard a boat, it is frequently possible to achieve just that. That is why sailing is a way of life, one of the finest of lives.” ‍ ‍-Carleton Mitchell

“What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous.” ‍ ‍-Thomas Merton

“I wanted freedom, open air and adventure. I found it on the sea.” ‍ ‍-Alain Gerbault

“There is nothing more enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving than the life at sea.” ‍ ‍-Joseph Conrad

“To reach a port we must set sail - Sail, not tie at anchor - Sail, not drift.” ‍ ‍-Franklin D. Roosevelt

“The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” ‍ ‍-Vincent Van Gogh

“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” ‍ ‍-Lucius Annaeus Seneca

“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” ‍ ‍-Fitzhugh Dodson

“Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.” ‍ ‍-Syrus Publilius

“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” ‍ ‍-African proverb

“Can't control the wind but I can adjust the sail.” ‍ ‍-Ricky Skaggs

“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn topsail in high winds.” ‍ ‍-Aristotle Onassis

“He who lets the sea lull him into a sense of security is in very grave danger.” ‍ ‍-Hammond Ines

“Sailing is just the bottom line, like adding up the score in bridge. My real interest is in the tremendous game of life.” ‍ ‍-Dennis Conner

“Thought is the wind, knowledge the sail, and mankind the vessel.” ‍ ‍-Augustus Hare

“No literature is richer than that of the sea. No story is more enthralling, no tradition is more secure.” ‍ ‍-Felix Riesenberg

“The man who has experienced shipwreck shudders even at a calm sea.” ‍ ‍-Ovid

“There is but a plank between a sailor and eternity.” ‍ ‍-Thomas Gibbons

“At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much.” ‍ ‍-Robin Graham

“The lovely thing about cruising is that planning usually turns out to be of little use.” ‍ ‍-Dom Degnon

“I cannot not sail” ‍ ‍-E. B. White

“The art of the sailor is to leave nothing to chance” ‍ ‍-Annie Van De Wiele

“When all seems to be against you, remember, a ship sometimes has to sail against the current, not with it.” ‍ ‍-Matshona Dhliwayo

“In a calm sea, every man is a pilot.” ‍ ‍-John Ray

Happy Sailing Quotes

Below are our favorite sailing quotes that will make you happy.

“Never in my life before have I experienced such beauty, and fear at the same time.” ‍ ‍-Ellen MacArthur

“The days pass happily with me wherever my ship sails.” ‍ ‍-Joshua Slocum

“Mackerel skies and mares tails, soon will be time to shorten sails” ‍ ‍-Sailors Proverb

“Sailing a boat calls for quick action, a blending of feeling with the wind and water as well as with the very heart and soul of the boat itself. Sailing teaches alertness and courage, and gives in return a joyousness and peace that but few sports afford.” ‍ ‍-George Matthew Adams

“Success soon palls. The joyous time is when the breeze first strikes your sails, and the waters rustle under your bows.” ‍ ‍-Charles Buxton

“Instead of sailing off into the sunset, he hopes to sail into the next century.” ‍ ‍-Dave Anderson

“I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth, a nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present. In this limitless nation, this nation of wind, light, and peace, there is no other ruler besides the sea.” ‍ ‍-Bernard Moitessier

“You haven't lived until you've sailed.” ‍ ‍-David Sedaris

“It is not that life ashore is distasteful to me. But life at sea is better.” ‍ ‍-Sir Francis Drake

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” ‍ ‍-Jacques Yves Cousteau

“The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.” ‍ ‍-Edmund Gibbon

“Sailor is an artist whose medium is the wind. Live passionately, even if it kills you, because something is going to kill you anyway.” ‍ ‍-Webb Chiles

“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it - but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.” ‍ ‍-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

“It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage.” ‍ ‍-George William Curtis

“For the most part, a sailboat navigates through its world of wind and water not leaving a single trace of its passage. Nothing is consumed. Nothing is altered. The winds and the water are left in exactly the same condition for the next user. Sailing is forever.” ‍ ‍-Michael B. McPhee

“Wonders are many, and none is more wonderful than the power that crosses the white sea, driven by the stormy wind, making a path under surges that threaten to engulf him.” ‍ ‍-Sophocles

“The planning stage of a cruise is often just as enjoyable as the voyage itself, letting ones imagination loose on all kinds of possibilities. Yet translating dreams into reality means a lot of practical questions have to be answered.” ‍ ‍-Jimmy Cornell

“The cabin of a small yacht is truly a wonderful thing; not only will it shelter you from a tempest, but from the other troubles in life, it is a safe retreat” ‍ ‍-Francis Herreshoff

“And after two days in civilization we realized we could never stay for long and started to plan our next adventure.” ‍ ‍-Bob Bitchin

“Sail Now, Work Later” ‍ ‍-An Unknown Sailor

Funny Sailing Quotes

Below are our favorite funny sailing quotes that will make you laugh.

“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Give him a fishing lesson and he'll sit in a boat drinking beer every weekend.” ‍ ‍-Alex Blackwell

“Any damn fool can navigate the world sober. It takes a really good sailor to do it drunk.” ‍ ‍-Sir Francis Chichester

“When a man comes to like a sea life, he is not fit to live on land.” ‍ ‍-Dr. Samuel Johnson

“The cure for anything is saltwater - sweat, tears, or the sea.” ‍ ‍-Isak Dinesen

“Out of sight of land the sailor feels safe. It is the beach that worries him.” ‍ ‍-Charles Davis

“Sailing – The fine art of slowly going nowhere at great expense while being cold, wet and miserable.” ‍ ‍-Irv Heller

“The only way to get a good crew is to marry one.” ‍ ‍-Eric Hiscock

“Only two sailors, in my experience, never ran aground. One never left port and the other was an atrocious liar.” ‍ ‍-Don Bamford

“Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit.” ‍ ‍-Brooks Atkinson

“Thing about boats is, you can always sell them if you don't like them. Can't sell kids.” ‍ ‍-Lin Pardey

Sad Sailing Quotes

Below are our favorite sad sailing quotes that are deeply thoughtful.

“As we sail through life, don't avoid rough waters, sail on because calm waters won't make a skillful sailor.” ‍ ‍-Unknown

“The ocean has taken everything from me and yet I still love her.” ‍ ‍-Unknown

“Only the guy who isn't rowing has time to rock the boat.” ‍ ‍-Jean-Paul Sartre

These are our favorite sailing quotes to get you inspired, motivated and happy.

Some of these quotes are deeply thoughtful whilst others are more light- hearted and funny.

What's your favorite quote?

Sailing Quotes: 50+ Sayings About the Ocean

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ OUR DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

Last Updated on October 9, 2021 by Amy

Whether you are just starting out and learning how to sail or have completed a world circumnavigation like us , sometimes it helps to be reminded why we do this. There are many benefits to the cruising life, and some inspirational words always help me get there. And at the moment, they make me miss cruising! That’s why I’ve compiled a list of over fifty sailing quotes to remind me how great – or how impactful, awe-inspiring, and essential the cruising life can be.

Are you just starting out? Or are you in the slumps about cruising? I hope some of these quotes about the sailing and cruising life will make you laugh, think, or even, dare I say it, want to go sailing.

Table of Contents - Click to Jump

Inspirational Boat Quotes

“To reach a port we must set sail – Sail, not tie at anchor. Sail, not drift.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt

“I can’t control the wind but I can adjust the sail.” ―  Ricky Skaggs

“You must never despise the port you were born because no matter how small or how bad it is, it is the place you have started sailing to the universe!” ―  Mehmet Murat ildan

“We each have our oceans and seas that we travel on.” ―  Anthony T Hincks

“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed to an uncharted land or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” ― Helen Keller

“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.” ― John F Kennedy

“I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky. And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.” ― John Masefield

Dark Subjects

“She watched the gap between ship and shore grow to a huge gulf. Perhaps this was a little like dying, the departed no longer visible to the others, yet both still existed, only in different worlds.” ― Susan Wiggs, The Charm School

“Sometimes I pretend I’m an anchor because there’s a difference between sinking and drowning.” ―  R.I.D. Inkskinned

“When  Predator  sailed into war, she  sang . The rapid winds and rising shrieks suddenly blended into a single harmonious tone. Lines in the rigging and the yards and the masts themselves quivered in time, and began giving off their own notes of music, in harmony with one another. As the speed increased, the chord rose and rose, and built and  built , until it reached a crescendo of pure, eerie, inhuman fury. Grimm  felt  the music rise around him, felt the ship straining eagerly to her task, and his own heart raced in fierce exultation in time with her. Every line of the ship, every smudge upon her decks, every stain upon the leathers of his aeronauts leapt into his mind in vibrant detail. He could feel the ship’s motion, forward and down, could feel the wind of her passage, could feel the rising terror of his crew. One of the men screamed–one of them always did–and then the entire crew joined in with  Predator , shrieking their battle cries together with their ship’s. The ship would not fail them–Grimm knew it; he felt it, the way he could feel sunlight on his face or the rake of wind in his hair.” ―  Jim Butcher,  The Aeronaut’s Windlass

“So there you have it: hearing voices at sea is not a pathological condition. It’s quite normal. Welcome to the world of illusions at sea. Of mirages, looming, towering, stooping and sinking. Of moons that change size, suns that change shape, horizons that bend, lights that change colour, and sounds that play hide and seek. Of waves that speak, ships that effervesce and whales that turn into baby elephants. For the sea has a lobsterpot full of tricks and illusions to confuse and beguile even the most rational 21st century sailor.” ―  Nic Compton,  Off the Deep End: A History of Madness at Sea

“For I say there is no other thing that is worse than the sea is for breaking a man, even though he may be a very strong one.” ―  Homer

“Sail through the good days, and on bad days pick a spot of blue sky to steer toward.” ―  Richelle E. Goodrich,  Making Wishes

Practical Sailing Quotes

“Go small, go simple, go now” ―  Larry Pardey,  Cruising in Seraffyn

“She found out that having something to do prevented you from feeling seasick, and that even a job like scrubbing a deck could be satisfying, if it was done in a seamanlike way. She was very taken with this notion, and later on she folded the blankets on her bunk in a seamanlike way, and put her possessions in the closet in a seamanlike way, and used ‘stow’ instead of ‘tidy’ for the process of doing so. After two days at sea, Lyra decided that this was the life for her.” ―  Philip Pullman,  The Golden Compass

“A small boat that sails the river is better than a large ship that sinks in the sea.” ―  Matshona Dhliwayo

Humorous Yacht Sayings

“Thing about boats is, you can always sell them if you don’t like them. Can’t sell kids.” ―  Lin Pardey,  Bull Canyon: A Boatbuilder, a Writer and Other Wildlife

“For those of you who wish to get a feel for it, get in the car and bring it up to fifty miles an hour and then stick your head and arms outside and, while driving, try to fold up a simple bath towel in the wind” ―  Gary Paulsen,  Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats

“Charter boats are like books with no covers.” ―  Tania Aebi

“One of the reasons there are so many terms for conditions of ice is that the mariners observing it were often trapped in it, and had nothing to do except look at it.” ―  Alec Wilkinson,  The Ice Balloon: S. A. Andrée and the Heroic Age of Arctic Exploration

“The winds of fortune tend to favour the sails of those who politely yell out to it, ‘Nice to meet you!” ―  Nabil Sabio Azadi

“You don’t throw a compass overboard because the ocean is calm.” ―  Matshona Dhliwayo

The Joys of Sailing Quotes

“Seas were meant to be sailed by those with salt in their veins, and love in their heart.” ―  Anthony T.Hincks

“I wanted freedom, open air, adventure. I found it on the sea.” ― Alain Gerbault

“Sailing unties the knots in my mind.” ― Al Noble

To some it’s just water. To me, it’s where I regain my sanity. ― Anonymous

“A sailing vessel is alive in a way that no ship with mechanical power ever be.” ― Aubrey de Selincourt

“There is no more thrilling sensation I know of than sailing. It comes as near to flying as man has got to yet – except in dreams.” ―  Jerome K. Jerome,  Three Men in a Boat

“Just because a sea is calm doesn’t mean that you can believe in its stillness.” ―  Anthony T. Hincks

“When I’m out sailing, I don’t wonder what heaven is like because I know.” ―  Anthony T. Hincks

It is not that life ashore is distasteful to me. But life at sea is better. ― Sir Francis Drake

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. ― Jacques Yves Cousteau

There’s nothing like lying flat on your back on the deck, alone except for the helmsman aft at the wheel, silence except for the lapping of the sea against the side of the ship. At that time you can be equal to Ulysses and brother to him. ― Errol Flynn

“Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be Pirates” —Mark Twain

“That’s what a ship is, you know—it’s not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is, really is, is freedom.” ― Captain Jack Sparrow, “Pirates of the Caribbean”

“You haven’t lived until you’ve sailed” ―  David Sedaris,  Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002

“Sometimes you need to tether your boats to stop them from following your dreams.” ―  Anthony T. Hincks

There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. ― Kenneth Grahame

“The ocean’s currents are a turbulent emotion which man has yet to come to terms with.” ―  Anthony T. Hincks

“If you are a boat that wants to sail in windy weather, you must be more stubborn than the waves!” ―  Mehmet Murat ildan

“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.” ― Aristotle Onassis

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for. ― William Shedd

“Storms draw out something out of us that calm seas don’t.” ― Bill Hybels

“I hate storms, but calms undermine my spirits.” ― Bernard Moitessier

The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore. ― Vincent Van Gogh

“The only ship you can truly steer in this ocean is the one you’re sailing. Quit trying to alter the winds; harness them.” ―  Richelle E. Goodrich,  Making Wishes

“The wind does not change, the wind only blows and gusts, and it swells and swirls, and it whispers.” ―  Christopher X. Shade,  The Good Mother of Marseille

“Maria didn’t fear the sea but, as taught by her father, she respected its power. In her experience the ocean had no intent to drown travellers.” ―  Sara Sheridan,  On Starlit Seas

“A sailor is not defined as much by how many seas he has sailed than by how many storms he has overcome.” ―  Matshona Dhliwayo

“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” ― Louisa May Alcott

Distant Horizons

“The wind tousled his hair, and Dain’s chest loosed a little as his gaze broke from the wooden maid to follow a breeze-blown gull toward the horizon. The distant salmon skies dipped over the rim of the sea, and for the first time since boarding, he wondered where the waves might take him.” ―  Micheline Ryckman,   The Maiden Ship

“I hate the strange feeling of wanting to be in two places at once, like a sailor who misses the sea as much as he misses dry land.” ― Michelle Moran, Rebel Queen

“To meditate is to sail a course, to navigate, among problems many of which we are in the process of clearing up. After each one looms another, whose shores are even more attractive, more suggestive. Certainly, it requires strength and perseverance to get to windward of problems, but there is no greater delight than to reach new shores, and even to sail, as Camoëns says, “through seas that keel has never cut before.” If you will now open a bank-account of attention for me, I foretell sun-smitten landscapes and promise archipelagoes.” ―  José Ortega y Gasset

“But that’s how it is on a sailing ship, and in this respect its journey parallels that of life: simply knowing where you want to go isn’t enough, because life is a windblown voyage, consisting mainly of the detours imposed by alternating calm and storm.” ―  Carsten Jensen,  We, the Drowned

“At the end of the day…we are anchoring into the peaceful lagoon, smiling at the majestic sun and its flirting rays, slowly slipping into the glittering ballroom of immense night skies, sipping on the platinum moon liquor under the blues of rippling waves kissing my golden foot hanging over the board of gently rocking boat, and diving into the bed of galaxies whispering magical stories of their eternal lives connecting souls…till the dawn…” ―  Oksana Rus

“And there’s that one particular harbour Sheltered from the wind Where the children play on the shore each day And all are safe within” ― Jimmy Buffett

“Midnight sail and moonlight. I remember sunset, and gentle breeze. Leaving the city lights behind, and gazing at the moon. Mountains of clouds. Waves slapping our boat. It was easy to forget that love has no direction, or need for compass. Let it guide you to its destination.” ―  Fidelis O Mkparu

“Cold November nights. It feels as if summer never happened. The beauty of setting sun, moon, and stars. Sailing to nowhere, but finding happiness in our togetherness. Never forget what we are. Stranded hearts.” ― Fidelis O. Mkparu, Love’s Affliction

“The moon was low but not full. The men set out along the dock in conversation. As they dropped onto the dark beach, Simmons declared, ‘There can be no better place in the world than this.’ Henderson had to agree. The beach was beautiful. The stars lit the sand and balmy air rode in as the waves washed up on paradise” ―  Sara Sheridan,  On Starlit Seas

“There, in the shimmering distance, was a sail. I stared in momentary disbelief, but there it was, one of the most beautiful sights the Pacific can ever offer — a ship in full sail edging her way through the blue waters.” ―  Tom Neale,  An Island to Oneself: The Story of Six Years on a Desert Island

“Life on the blue part of the globe for eight years had suited me – the wild open spaces, the bliss of buoyancy, the volatile, soul-powered wind. Sailing had struck a nerve both primal and poetic. On and near the ocean life made sense, It made every sense work.” ―  Kaci Cronkhite

“A true sailor is one who finds love in every port.” ―  Tapan Ghosh

“Never a ship sails out of bay but carries my heart as a stowaway.” ―  Roselle Mercier Montgomery

Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit. ‍ ― Brooks Atkinson

“Simply sailing in a new direction you could enlarge the world” ―  Allen Curnow

“We didn’t make it around the world, but we were able to wrap the world around us.” ―  Janis Couvreux,  Sail Cowabunga!: A Family’s 10 Years at Sea

“It had occurred to her many times that on board it didn’t matter where you were coming from or where you were heading. Each voyage had its own charisma. Like writing a book – word by word – or crossing a country – step by step – each minute had to be lived moment by moment.” ―  Sara Sheridan,  On Starlit Seas

The Cruising Lifestyle

“The cruising life isn’t for all of us. It isn’t even for most of us, but it is for some of us, and for a few of us it is essential to survival.” ―  Jim Trefethen,  The Cruising Life

“What do you do?” is not a question asked to define someone, because out here we’re all working the same jobs: yachties, mechanics, navigators, weather-readers, fishermen, adventure travelers, storytellers.” ―  Torre DeRoche,  Love with a Chance of Drowning

“At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much.” ― Robin Lee Graham

“Maybe you’re getting into the rhythm of sailing life,” says James. He looks out at the waves that are rolling in to lap against the dock. “You know, the tides going in and then out, the wind blowing east and then west, the high of a perfect day out on the water, the low of a thunderstorm or a wind that won’t go your way.” ―  Melissa C. Walker,  Unbreak My Heart

“For the most part, a sailboat navigates through its world of wind and water not leaving a single trace of its passage. Nothing is consumed. Nothing is altered. The winds and the water are left in exactly the same condition for the next user. Sailing is forever.” ― Michael B. McPhee

Quotes On Love & Crew

“We simply can’t abandon ship every time we encounter a storm in our marriage. Real love is about weathering the storms of life together.” ―  Seth Adam Smith

“He stared at her hard and long, as if he were gauging a cloudbank that might be worth the trouble to sail around rather than through.” ―  A.S. Peterson,  Fiddler’s Green

“That’s what sailing is, a dance, and your partner is the sea. And with the sea you never take liberties. You ask her, you don’t tell her. You have to remember always that she’s the leader, not you. You and your boat are dancing to her tune.” ―  Michael Morpurgo,  Alone on a Wide Wide Sea

“The only way to get a good crew is to marry one.” ― Eric Hiscock

“Now I remembered a captain’s honor and his only duty: to bring his crew back alive.” ―  Carsten Jensen,  We, the Drowned

“We of the sea come to know each other quickly; our loves, like our hates, are born of sudden dangers.” ―  Lew Wallace,  Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Quotes On Departing Ports

“I had acquired the skills to sail a ship; I didn’t acquire the knowledge.” ― Tom Holland

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ―  H. Jackson Brown Jr.,  P.S. I Love You

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ― Christopher Columbus

“The boat is safer anchored at the port; but that is not the aim of boats.” ― Paulo Coelho

“The thing that most forget while dreamily looking off into the horizon for the ship of their dreams is that such ships never sail in but are built beneath their feet.” ―  Mike Dooley

“The sea is the same as it has been since before men ever went on it in boats.” ― Ernest Hemingway

“The sea was not meant to be controlled. The sea was meant to be sailed.” ―  Jon Acuff

“The sea speaks a language polite people never repeat. It is a colossal scavenger slang and has no respect.” ― Carl Sandburg

“The sea has never been friendly to man. At most it has been the accomplice of human restlessness.” ― Joseph Conrad

“How inappropriate it is to call this planet Earth, when clearly it is Sea.” ― Arthur C. Clarke

“She loved the sea. She liked the sharp salty smell of the air, and the vastness of the horizons bounded only by a vault of azure sky above. It made her feel small, but free as well.” ―  George R.R. Martin,  A Storm of Swords

Which sailing quote is your favorite?

Beautiful quotes. A pleasure to read. Thank you using so many of my quotes. “The sea is what makes me feel so young.”

All the best. Anthony T. Hincks

You have a way with words!

Amy, devem existir incontáveis citações célebres envolvendo o mar e o nosso eterno caso de amor, que é velejar. Parabéns pelo seu bom gosto. Surpreendente. Já li algumas mas sua seleção é melhor de todas. Sinceros agradecimentos.

The sea is a good muse! 🙂

I collect sailing/travel quotes and many of these were new to me. What a great list.

And…you corrected my erroneously attributing a certain quote to Mark Twain 😉

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society where none intrudes, By the deep Sea, and music in its roar: I love not Man the less, but Nature more, Lord Byron

Thank you, Amy!

I looked up the Mark Twain thing before I posted, because I saw it attributed to both. Geat Bryon quote.

The quote: ‘Quit trying to alter the winds; harness them.’ really resonated with me today 🙂

Thanks for all the work putting this lovely collection together.

Aw great to hear from you! 🙂

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The 101 Most Inspiring Sailing QuotesFor Your Next Adventure

Looking for the best sailing quotes.

Sailing is one of the oldest and most captivating activities in history, so there are a whole lot of sailing quotes all over the internet. You’ll find quotes from famous authors, poets, songwriters, and actors, everyone has something to say about sailing and we don’t blame them!

With every passing year, more people are turning to sailing as a way to find respite from their everyday routines – and as they do, an increasing number of inspiring sailing songs and quotes about sailing have been shared by adventurers around the world.

Perhaps we need to get adding to the list as we embark on our fifth year of living on a sailboat!

In this blog post we’ll explore some of these sailing quotes. Most of them are great for Instagram captions (I know, I’ve used a lot of them!) or you can write them in the front of books when you gift them to people.

Or you can just read and enjoy! It’s totally up to you!

Famous Sailing Quotes

These are timeless sailing quotes that you’re likely to see over and over again, and for good reason. Some of these famous quotes are our absolute favourites!

• “A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” John A. Shedd, American Author
• “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” Louisa May Alcott, American Poe t
• “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain, American Writer
• “One’s destination is never a place, but always a new way of seeing things.” Henry Miller, American Writer & Artist
• “Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.” Van Morrison, Irish Singer-Songwriter
• “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” William Arthur Ward, American Writer
• “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd U.S. President
• “You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer
• “A man is never lost at sea.” Ernest Hemingway, American Writer
• “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” Seneca, Roman Philosopher
• “A bad day sailing is 100 times better than a good day at work.” Unknown
• “I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.” William Ernest Henley
• “How inappropriate it is to call this planet Earth, when clearly it is Sea.” Arthur C. Clarke
• “The good seaman weathers the storm he cannot avoid and avoids the storm he cannot weather.” Unknown

Sailing Quotes About Freedom

These quotes will be sure to instill that feeling of freedom and adventure that you find when you’re out sailing. Warning – reading these may well encourage you to head off on a sailing adventure of your own!

15. “It is not that life ashore is distasteful to me. But life at sea is better.” Sir Francis Drake, English Explorer

16. “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch Post-Impressionist Painter

17. “I wanted freedom, open air, and adventure. I found it on the sea.” Alaine Gerbault, French Sailor

18. “The days pass happily with me wherever my ship sails.” Joshua Slocum, First Person to Single-Hand Circumnavigate

19. “Home is where the anchor drops.” Unknown

20. “It’s remarkable how quickly a good and favorable wind can sweep away the maddening frustrations of shore living.” Ernest K. Gann, American Sailor & Author

21 “On life’s vast ocean, diversely we sail. Reasons the card, but passion the gale.” Alexander Pope, English Poet

22 “Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit.” Brooks Atkinson

23. “There is nothing more enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving than the life at sea.” Joseph Conrad, Polish-British Writer

24. “Flying might not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price.” Amelia Earhart, American Aviation Pioneer & Author

25. “For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it’s always our self we find in the sea.” E.E. Cummings, American Poet & Author

26. “A sailor is an artist whose medium is the wind. Live passionately, even if it kills you, because something is going to kill you anyway.” Webb Chiles

27. “The sail, the play of its pulse so like our own lives: so thin and yet so full of life, so noiseless when it labors hardest, so noisy and impatient when least effective.” Henry David Thoreau, American Poet & Philosopher

28. “On a day when the wind is perfect, the sail just needs to open and the world is full of beauty.” Rumi

Weathering Storms Quotes

Sailors face some pretty tough conditions out there, and some great quotes have come from those reflecting on the strength and courage that storms at sea have given them. Sailing can be dangerous . These sailing quotes are great life quotes as well.

29. “There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.” Willa Cather, American Writer

30. “Confronting a storm is like fighting God. All the powers in the universe seem to be against you and, in an extraordinary way, your irrelevance is at the same time both humbling and exalting.” Francis LeGrande

31. “The most challenging times bring us the most empowering lessons.” Karen Salmansohn

32. “The sea finds out everything you did wrong.” Francis Stokes

33. “Any fool can carry on, but a wise man knows how to shorten sail in time.” Joseph Conrad, Polish-British Writer

34. “The sea speaks a language polite people never repeat. It is a colossal scavenger slang and has no respect.” Carl Sandburg

Cruising Quotes

Our favourite sailing quotes sum up what life is really like as a full-time cruiser. It’s not always glamorous, but it’s always an adventure.

If you’re thinking of becoming a full-time liveaboard then we’ve got the ultimate guide for you . Go from landlubber to salty sea dog in no time!

35. “The goal is not to sail the boat, but rather to help the boat sail herself.” John Rousmaniere, American Author

36. “There is no better tool or equipment you can have on board than a well-trained crew.” Larry Pardey , Sailor

37. “A sailing vessel is alive in a way that no ship with mechanical power ever be.” Aubrey de Selincourt

38. “Only two sailors, in my experience, never ran aground. One never left port and the other was an atrocious liar.” Don Bamford, Sailor & Author

39. “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” Ernest Hemingway

40. “If you are going to do something, do it now. Tomorrow is too late.” Pete Goss, British Sailor

41. “To be successful at sea, we must keep things simple.” Pete Culler, Author & Renowned Wooden Boat Builder

42. “Go small, go simple, go now.” Larry Pardey, Sailor & Writer

43. “To desire nothing beyond what you have is surely happiness. Aboard a boat, it is frequently possible to achieve just that. That is why sailing is a way of life, one of the finest of lives.” Carleton Mitchell

44. “At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much.” Robin Lee Graham, American Sailor

45. “The lovely thing about cruising is that planning usually turns out to be of little use.” Dom Degnon, Freelance Writer

46. “Cruising is fixing your boat in exotic locations.” Unknown

Sailing Quotes From Novels

Nothing quite matches the feeling of waking up on a sailboat or yacht in the middle of an ocean and living life at its most adventurous.

Sailing quotes from books and novels demonstrate that this kind of experience has been inspiring adventure seekers for decades, expressed by writers who want to capture the unique freedom only found while sailing.

Whether you are just getting started with your sailing journey, or have a lifetime’s worth of experiences, these classic quotes will reconnect you to what makes such an activity so special!

47. “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” Ernest Hemingway

48. “I was amazed that what I needed to survive could be carried on my back. And, most surprising of all, that I could carry it.” Cheryl Strayed

49. “Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.” Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

50. “Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made, for somewhere deep in their oaken hearts the soul of a song is laid.” Robert N. Rose 

51. “To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you give, To roam the roads of lands remote, To travel is to live.” Hans Christian Andersen, The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography

52. “I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.” Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

53. “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild

Sailing Quotes From The Movies

A love for sailing often stirs within us when the wind picks up and we smell the salty sea. Movies have captured the allure of setting sail, taking that adventurous voyage across a vast ocean, and embracing what lies beyond.

Here is a collection of some of our favorite sailing quotes from the movies – motivating you to get out on open waters!

Whether you’re trying to motivate yourself to jump on an upcoming journey or just appreciate a beautiful day at sea, these sailing lines will undoubtedly hit close to home.

Here’s your invitation: suit up, let down your sails, drop anchor, and join us as we explore these famous words with our inspirational takeaways. Let’s set sail!

Top tip: Watch some of the best sailing YouTube channels to get inspired!

54. “Not all treasure is silver and gold.” Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean

55. “They say home is where the heart is, and for most people that consists of four walls and a welcome mat. But for me, it’s the ocean, with the warmth of the sun on my skin.” Bethany Hamilton Soul Surfer

56. “Now…bring me that horizon.” Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean

57. “The ocean doesn’t help you. You help yourself!” Dwayne Johnson (as Maui), Moana 

58. “It’s not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that’s what a ship needs but what a ship is…what the Black Pearl really is…is freedom.” Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean

Quotes About The Ocean

With the vastness of the ocean and its many mysteries, it’s no surprise that people have been writing about this enchanting body of water for centuries.

From ancient Greek philosophers to modern-day songwriters, each quote captures something different and provides an interesting perspective on this seemingly endless expanse of blue.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration on how to appreciate the beauty of nature or simply need a reminder to savor life’s little moments, read ahead to discover some insightful quotes about the ocean.

Or if you’re looking for something more short and snappy you’ll be wanting the best ocean captions for Instagram .

59. “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” Jacques Yves Cousteau, French Naval Officer

60. “When your life is moving too fast and you find yourself in chaos, introduce yourself to each color of the sunset.” Christy Ann Martine

61. “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.” John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. President

62. “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Philosopher

63. “At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun.” Sandy Gingras, Writer & Illustrator

64. “Dance with the waves, move with the sea, let the rhythm of the water set your soul free.” Christy Ann Martine, Canadian Poet

65. “If there’s a heaven for me, I’m sure it has a beach attached to it.” Jimmy Buffett, American Singer-Songwriter

66. “Every time I slip into the ocean, it’s like going home.” Sylvia Earle, American Marine Biologist

67. “The sea is a desert of waves, a wilderness of water.” Langston Hughes, American Poet

Quotes To Encourage You To Untie The Docklines

Have you ever had a burning desire to strike out on your own but were too afraid or held back by the safety and security of staying within the confines of what’s comfortable?

Maybe it was a job, maybe it was a relationship, or perhaps you yearned for exploration – whatever it may be, know that you’re not alone. The uncertainty and fear associated with leaving comfort zones is felt by many.

To provide some motivation on your journey, here are some inspiring quotes to encourage you to untie those docklines and let the current take hold!

68. “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” T.S. Eliot

69. “Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.” Michael Jordan

70. “In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.” Lewis Carroll

71. “If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet.” Rachel Wolchin

72. “No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” Helen Keller

73. “You can. You should. And if you are brave enough to start, you will.” Stephen King

74. “Until you step into the unknown, you don’t know what you’re made of.” Roy T. Bennett

75. “I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” Mary Anne Radmacher

76. “It feels good to be lost in the right direction.” Anonymous

77. “And after two days in civilization we realized we could never stay for long and started to plan our next adventure.” Bob Bitchin (Letters from the Lost Soul)

78. “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Christopher Robin

79. “Jobs fill your pockets, but adventures fill your soul.” Jaime Lyn

Short Sailing Quotes For Instagram

Feel free to pair these quotes with your favorite sailing photos for a touch of inspiration and adventure on your Instagram feed! ⛵️📸✨

80. “Sail away into the horizon and let your worries drift away.” ⛵️✨

81. “Life’s roughest storms prove the strength of our anchors.” ⚓️💪

82. “Smooth seas never made skilled sailors.” 🌊⛵️

83. “Every adventure requires a first step. Mine was setting sail.” 🌟⛵️

84. “Find your direction and set sail towards your dreams.” 🌅⛵️

85. “The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination, and brings eternal joy to the soul.” 🌊❤️

86. “Sail with the wind, explore the unknown, and embrace the journey.” 🌬️⛵️

87. “In the waves of change, we find our true direction.” 🌊🧭

88. “Life is better on a boat.” 🚤💙

89. “Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ⛵️✨

90. “The ocean is calling, and I must go.” 🌊⛵️

91. “Saltwater heals everything.” 🌊💙

92. “Sailors have the best stories.” ⚓️📖

93. “Life is a journey. Enjoy the sail.” ⛵️✨

94. “Let the sea set you free.” 🌊⚓️

95. “Wind in my sails, salt in my veins.” 🌬️⛵️

96. “Sail more, worry less.” ⛵️😌

97. “Sailing is the ultimate freedom.” ⛵️🌅

98. “Adventure awaits where the sea meets the sky.” 🌊🌌

99. “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, but it sure makes for a great day on the water.” 🌊⛵️

100. “Life’s a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” 🎶⛵️

101. “Happiness comes in waves.” 🌊😊

Conclusion: The Best Sailing Quotes

The best sailing quotes can provide guidance to help any sailor out on the open sea. These quotes range from statements of encouragement to lessons of caution; they provide advice and inspiration that can be appreciated by anyone who loves sailing and exploring the open water.

Even seasoned sailors may find the motivation to push further in the waves after reading these insightful words. You never know when you may need a bit of extra courage and resolve to reach your goals.

No matter what your sailing aspirations are, keep peace within yourself, sail with passion, and hold high hopes for all your upcoming voyages!

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Pearls of wisdom: 20 most inspiring sailing quotes ever

• Katy Stickland

We all need some inspiration from time to time. These quotes by sailing legends and enthusiasts have inspired us all at YBW since we launched 20 years ago

Credit: Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

“Any damn fool can navigate the world sober. It takes a really good sailor to do it drunk.”  Sir Francis Chichester  

“Every single day since I heard that tap-tapping and knew I had survived, I have told myself I am lucky to be alive. Why go back? Because I’m a racing sailor; that’s what I do. I love the sea, and I love competition. You don’t give up on life just because you once had a narrow shave from death.”  Tony Bullimore

“My mother, when asked for her opinion of the voyage before I sailed, had replied that she considered it ‘totally irresponsible’ and on this Christmas Day I began to think she was right. I was sailing round the world simply because I bloody well wanted to – and, I realised, I was thoroughly enjoying myself.”  Robin Knox-Johnston

“The day passes happily with me wherever my ship sails.”  Joshua Slocum

“The art of the sailor is to leave nothing to chance.”  Annie Van De Wiele

Credit: ABACA/PA Images

“I really don’t know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it’s because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it’s because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea – whether it is to sail or to watch it – we are going back from whence we came. ”  John F. Kennedy

“There have been times on this trip I’ve been convinced that GPS was wrong.”   Chris Robb

“Calm sailing doesn’t come from calm waters, it comes from having a good navigator; a good crew and a good vessel.”  Anthony T. Hincks

“It’s out there at sea that you are really yourself.”   Vito Dumas

“The cabin of a small yacht is truly a wonderful thing; not only will it shelter you from a tempest, but from the other troubles in life, it is a safe retreat.”  L. Francis Herreshoff

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“The charm of singlehanded cruising is not solitude, but independence.”  Claud Worth

“When you are in a huge storm, and you’ve set the boat up for the winds, and the autopilot is steering the boat, there’s nothing to do apart from stand there and watch the walls of water breaking around you; it’s an awesome sight.”  Emma Richards

“In splicing, practice makes perfect, and in the doing you will learn more than from reading any ten books on the subject.”  Hervey Garrett Smith

“The only way to get a good crew is to marry one.”  Eric Hiscock

“To win, you have to believe you can do it. You have to be passionate about it. You have to really ‘want’ the result – even if this means years of work. The hardest part of any big project is to begin.”  Sir Peter Blake

Credit: PA Archive/PA Images

“When you spend so much time pushing, caring for, cajoling and maintaining a beautiful racing machine like this, you get very close. She’s looked after me well, and I look after her. I haven’t been lonely at all.”  Ellen MacArthur

“The chance of mistakes are about equal to the number of crew squared.”   Ted Turner

“The desire to build a house is the tired wish of a man content thenceforward with a single anchorage. The desire to build a boat is the desire of youth, unwilling yet to accept the idea of a final resting place.”  Arthur Ransome

“I want a boat that drinks six, eats four, and sleeps two.”  Ernest K. Gann

“A sailing ship is no democracy; you don’t caucus a crew as to where you’ll go anymore than you inquire when they’d like to shorten sail.”  Sterling Hayden

100 Best Sailing Quotes To Get You Out On The Water

Inspirational Sailing Quotes

Famous sailing quotes, sailing quotes about life, sailor quotes, quotes about the sea, ocean quotes, ship quotes, boat quotes.

Sailing is a method that uses wind to propel a craft on the water's surface.

A point of sail is the course that is defined with true wind direction. Sailing, as fun as it seems, can be deadly if done alone.

Sailing has been an instrumental part of the development of civilization, aiding in mobility on the waterfront of society. Towards the Middle Ages, the advancements in sailing showed, which allowed explorers to go on longer voyages under extreme weather.

Improvements in masts, sails and the build of ships, with further development in the marine investigation, sailors were able to sail with more certainty. Until the mid-19th-century sailing was primarily used as a method for marine commerce, but now it is also a source of recreational activity and sports.

For more related content take a look at ocean quotes and boat quotes .

Some of the very best smooth sailing quotes that will inspire and motivate you!

1. “I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

― Jimmy Dean.

2. “In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach, in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth.”

― Rachel Carson.

3. “The only ship you can truly steer in this ocean is the one you’re sailing. Quit trying to alter the winds; harness them.”

― Richelle E. Goodrich, ‘Making Wishes’.

4. “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”

― William Arthur Ward.

5. “On a day when the wind is perfect, the sail just needs to open and the world is full of beauty.”

6. “It is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears.”

― John F. Kennedy.

7. “The cure for anything is saltwater – sweat, tears, or the sea.”

― Isak Dinesen.

8. “Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

― Mark Twain.

9. “One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight, for a very long time, of the shore.”

― Andre Gide.

10. “The charm of singlehanded cruising is not solitude, but independence.”

― Claud Worth.

11. “Calm sailing doesn’t come from calm waters, it comes from having a good navigator; a good crew and a good vessel.”

― Anthony T. Hincks.

12. “‘Tis the set of the sail that decides the goal, and not the storm of life.”

― Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

13. “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”

— Louisa May Alcott, ‘Little Women’.

14. “Sometimes there is no time for the sea to calm down! If you have to reach your target, let your voyage start and let the storm be your path!”

― Mehmet Murat Ildan.

15. “We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.”

― Aristotle Onassis.

16. “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

― Dolly Parton.

17. “No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.”

― Hellen Keller.

Great quotes about sailing by world-renowned personalities like Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway.

18. “It's remarkable how quickly a good and favorable wind can sweep away the maddening frustrations of shore living.”

— Ernest K. Gann.

19. “Wind is to us what money is to life on shore.”

― Sterling Hayden.

20. “Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World.”

― Christopher Columbus .

21. “It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”

― Jim Rohn.

22. “The sooner we learn to be jointly responsible, the easier the sailing will be.”

― Ella Maillart.

23. “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor.”

24. “To reach a port we must set sail –

Sail, not tie at anchor

Sail, not drift.”

― Franklin D. Roosevelt.

25. “The lovely thing about cruising is that planning usually turns out to be of little use.”

― Dom Degnon, ‘Sails Full And By’.

26. “When you sail for the first time, you have one of two experiences. It becomes a one-time, bucket-list thing you check off your list, or it becomes a part of your soul forever.”

— Michelle Segrest.

27. “The days pass happily with me wherever my ship sails.”

― Joshua Slocum.

28. “If one doesn’t know to which port one is sailing, no port is favorable.”

― Lucius Annaneus Seneca.

29. “There is no unhappiness like the misery of sighting land again after a cheerful, careless voyage.”

30. “A sailing ship is no democracy; you don’t caucus a crew as to where you’ll go anymore than you inquire when they’d like to shorten sail.”

31. “Sailing - The fine art of slowly going nowhere at great expense while being cold, wet and miserable.”

― Irv Heller.

32. “Hoist up sail while gale doth last, Tide and wind stay no man's pleasure.”

― Robert Southwell.

33. “To meditate is to sail a course, to navigate, among problems many of which we are in the process of clearing up.”

― Jose Ortega y Gasset.

34. “The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.”

― Sir Richard Burton.

35. “The goal is not to sail the boat, but rather to help the boat sail herself.”

― John Rousmaniere.

Find the best sailing quotation to motivate yourself with these great quotes about life.

36. “It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage.”

― George William Curtis.

37. “When I’m out sailing, I don’t wonder what heaven is like because I know.”

38. “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.”

― Fitzhugh Dodson.

39. “To desire nothing beyond what you have is surely happiness. Aboard a boat, it is frequently possible to achieve just that. That is why sailing is a way of life, one of the finest of lives.”

― Carleton Mitchell.

40. “Sail through the good days, and on bad days pick a spot of blue sky to steer toward.”

41. “You haven’t lived until you’ve sailed.”

― David Sedaris .

42. “To reach a port we must sail, sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it. But we must not drift or lie at anchor.”

― Oliver Wendell Holmes.

43. “Have an anchor so that life doesn't toss you around.”

― Debby Ryan.

44. “On life's vast ocean diversely we sail. Reasons the card, but passion the gale.”

― Alexander Pope.

45. “Thought is the wind, knowledge the sail, and mankind the vessel.”

― Augustus Hare.

Great sailor sayings and quotes praising sailors for their devotion to sailing the vast waters!

46. “If it wasn’t for seasickness, all the world would be sailors.”

― Charles Darwin.

47. “Any fool can carry on, but a wise man knows how to shorten sail in time.”

― Joseph Conrad.

48. “There is but a plank between a sailor and eternity.”

― Thomas Gibbons.

49. “A sailor is an artist whose medium is the wind. Live passionately, even if it kills you, because something is going to kill you anyway.”

― Webb Chiles.

50. “A man can pretend to be a lot of things in this world; but he can only pretend to be a sailor for as long as it takes to clear the harbor mouth!”

― Bernard Hayman.

51. “Only two sailors, in my experience, never ran aground. One never left port and the other was an atrocious liar.”

― Don Bamford.

52. “There are three sorts of people; those who are alive, those who are dead, and those who are at sea.”

― Aristotle.

53. “The art of the sailor is to leave nothing to chance.”

― Annie Van De Wiele.

54. “Sailors, with their built in sense of order, service and discipline, should really be running the world.”

― Nicholas Monsarrat.

55. “Out of sight of land the sailor feels safe. It is the beach that worries him.”

― Charles C. Davis.

56. “Men in a ship are always looking up, and men ashore are usually looking down.”

― John Masefield.

57. “The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.”

― Edmund Gibbon.

58. “A captain who does not know where he wants to sail, there is no wind on Earth that will bring him there.”

― Ami Ayalon.

These quotes talking about the sea are a great source of information to learn from!

59. “How foolish to believe we are more powerful than the sea or the sky.”

― Ruta Sepetys, ‘Salt To The Sea’.

60. “For I say there is no other thing that is worse than the sea is for breaking a man, even though he may be a very strong one.”

61. “It isn't that life ashore is distasteful to me. But life at sea is better.”

― Francis Drake.

62. “The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths, it has its pearls too.”

― Vincent van Gogh.

63. “The sea does not like to be restrained.”

– Rick Riordan, ‘The Lightning Thief’.

64. “He that will not sail till all dangers are over must never put to sea.”

― Dr. Thomas Fuller.

65. “When I forget how talented God is, I look to the sea.”

― Whoopi Goldberg.

66. “I went to sea from the most tender age and have continued in a sea life to this day. Wherever anyone has sailed, there I have sailed.”

― Christopher Columbus.

67. “There is nothing more enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving than the life at sea.”

68. “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.”

― Vincent Van Gogh.

69. “The sea is the same as it has been since before men ever went on it in boats.”

― Ernest Hemingway.

70. “I wanted freedom, open air and adventure. I found it on the sea.”

— Alain Gerbault.

71. “Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.”

― Robert Henri.

72. “It’s out there at sea that you are really yourself.”

― Vito Dumas.

73. “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson.

74. “The sea speaks a language polite people never repeat. It is a colossal scavenger slang and has no respect.”

―Carl Sandburg.

75. “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

― Jacques Yves Cousteau.

76. “How inappropriate it is to call this planet Earth, when clearly it is Sea.”

― Arthur C. Clarke.

77. “The sea drives truth into a man like salt.”

― Hilaire Belloc.

78. “At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much.”

― Robin Lee Graham.

79. “The sea will grant each man new hope, and sleep will bring dreams of home.”

Great quotes about the ocean that will leave you with a sense of awe!

80. “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea whether it is to sail or to watch it we are going back from whence we came.”

81. “You will love the ocean. It makes you feel small, but not in a bad way. Small because you realize you’re part of something bigger.”

― Lauren Myracle.

82. “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean, in a drop.”

83. “The ocean is an object of no small terror.”

― Edmund Burke.

84. “In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans; in one aspect of you are found all the aspects of existence.”

― Kahlil Gibran Jr.

85. “The beauty and mystery of the ocean, fills our lives with wonders, vast beyond our imagination.”

― M. L. Borges, ‘By The Sea’.

86. “If you want to hear the distant voice of the ocean put your ear to the lips of a seashell.”

― Curtis Tyrone Jones.

87. “We are all born in a little port but not all of us sail the vast oceans! Majority remains in the port!”

― Mehmet Murat ildan.

88. “The ocean is this beautiful, unexplored place. Why on Earth everyone isn't down there, I don't know.”

― Graham Hawkes.

89. “Without the will or desire to achieve one is like flotsam on the oceans of time.”

― Steven Redhead, ‘Life Is Simply A Game’.

Inspirational sailing sayings about the majestic nature of ships.

90. “Ship is the nearest thing to dreams that hands have ever made, for somewhere deep in their oaken hearts the soul of a song is laid.”

— Robert N. Rose.

91. “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.”

― Zora Neale Hurston.

92. “A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not why ships were built.”

― John A. Shedd.

93. “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”

― Antoine de Saint Exupery.

94. “I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way.”

― John Paul Jones .

95. “If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out and meet it.”

― Jonathan Winters.

Great inspired with these great boat quotes!

96. “If the water is calm, the boat is also calm! If your thoughts are calm, your life is also calm!”

— Mehmet Murat ildan.

97. “Sometimes you need to tether your boats to stop them from following your dreams.”

— Anthony T. Hincks.

98. “Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit.”

― Brooks Atkinson.

99. “The boat is safer anchored at the port, but that is not the aim of boats.”

― Paulo Coelho.

100. “Even if it is made up of gold, the sailing boat can go nowhere without the humble wind!”

Here at Kidadl , we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for sailing quotes then why not take a look at water quotes or fishing quotes.

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More for you, 50+ feet quotes, 32+ uplifting mission quotes to lift your spirits.

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Srija Chanda Master of Arts specializing in Mass Communication/Media Studies

An aspiring media professional, Srija is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Mass Communication at St. Xavier's University, Kolkata, after completing her degree in journalism. With experience in PR and social media, she has also honed her leadership skills through her participation in a youth parliament. Srija's interests include devouring books, watching movies, and exploring new places through travel.

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• Sailor's anthem: Nautical quotes and sayings that set sail

The sea has long been a muse for poets, writers, and dreamers. Whether it's the calm waters reflecting the sky's hues or the tumultuous waves crashing against the shore, the sea's moods and mysteries have inspired profound quotes. We dive into the treasure trove of literary gems that pay homage to the vastness and unpredictability of the ocean.

Quotes about the sea and sailing

Sailor's language and slang.

Onboard a ship, sailors have their own language—a unique blend of slang and terminology that fosters a sense of community and camaraderie. Dive into the fascinating world of sailor slang, from "landlubber" to "aye aye, captain!" Learn the meanings behind these colorful expressions and how they bring the crew together.

Read our top notch articles on topics such as sailing, sailing tips and destinations in our Magazine .

Famous sailing quotes and sayings

Throughout history, sailing has captured the imagination of adventurers, philosophers, and writers. We delve into the words of luminaries such as Mark Twain, Herman Melville, and Joshua Slocum, who beautifully captured the essence of sailing in their quotes. These quotes not only celebrate the thrill of exploration but also reflect on the profound experiences of life at sea.

Inspirational quotes for sailors

Sailing isn't just a journey across the water—it's a metaphor for life itself. Inspirational quotes for sailors remind us of the lessons learned from the sea: resilience, adaptability, and the courage to face the unknown. We gather uplifting quotes that inspire sailors to set their course with confidence and determination.

Humorous sailboat quotes and sayings

Sailing isn't all serious business—there's plenty of room for humor on the high seas. Humorous sailboat quotes and sayings inject laughter into maritime life. From witty observations about navigation mishaps to playful jabs at the unpredictability of the wind, we highlight the lighthearted side of sailing.

Boat at sea.

Quotes of the sea: Capturing the essence of sailing

• "A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
• "The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails." - William Arthur Ward
• "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Yves Cousteau
• "To reach a port, we must sail—sail, not tie at anchor—sail, not drift." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
• "I can't control the wind, but I can adjust the sails." - Ricky Skaggs
• "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen
• "The best way to observe a fish is to become a fish." - Jacques Yves Cousteau
• "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do." - Mark Twain
• "Every time I stand before a beautiful beach, its waves seem to whisper to me: If you choose the simple things and find joy in nature's simple treasures, life and living need not be so hard." - Psyche Roxas-Mendoza
• "He that will learn to pray, let him go to sea." - George Herbert
• "A sailor is an artist whose medium is the wind." - Webb Chiles
• "The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination, and brings eternal joy to the soul." - Wyland
• "Sailing a boat calls for quick action, a blending of feeling with the wind and water as well as with the very heart and soul of the boat itself." - George Matthew Adams
• "The sea has never been friendly to man. At most, it has been the accomplice of human restlessness." - Joseph Conrad
• "There is nothing more enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving than the life at sea." - Joseph Conrad

These quotes encapsulate the beauty, challenges, and allure of sailing and the sea.

So what are you waiting for? Take a look at our range of charter boats and head to some of our favourite sailing destinations .

FAQs about nautical quotes

Sailor Sayings and Sailing Quotes – Inspirational Quotes for Sailors

Are you a sailor and needs some more inspiration? Here’s my list of Quotes about the sea and sailing on a boat.

Two years ago, when Jonathan and I were still broke backpackers, he told me about how he dreams of sailing the open seas – that someday, he would buy himself a boat. Live in it. And travel around the world with it. And you guessed right; he sure did buy us a sailboat.

Here is the list of some popular sailor sayings and sailing quotes that will have you set before your sailing rendezvous:

actually, every sailor deserves a sailing challenge coin to record sailing life, the point is that you can use these popular sayings and aphorisms to customize an exclusive sailor challenge coin at GS-JJ.com, which is very important for every sailor because they all have unique meanings. You can create a nautical commemorative coin by clicking the navy challenge coins of GS-JJ.com , which is not only for the navy but also for seafarers.

Table of Contents

1. Sailors, with their built-in sense of order, service, and discipline, should really be running the world. – Nicholas Monsarrat

2. the wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator. – edmund gibbon, 3. the pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. – william arthur ward.

4. Mackerel skies and mares tails, soon will be time to shorten sails . – sailors proverb

5. the cabin of a small yacht is truly a wonderful thing; not only will it shelter you from a tempest, but from the other troubles in life, it is a safe retreat. – l. francis herreshoff.

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6. I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving – we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor. – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

7. A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for. – William Shedd

8. You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. – Christopher Columbus

9. He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast. – Leonardo da Vinci

10. He is the best sailor who can steer within fewest points of the wind, and exact a motive power out of the greatest obstacles. – Walter Scott

11. I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky. And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by. – John Masefield

12. That’s what a ship is, you know – it’s not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is, really is, is freedom. – Capt. Jack Sparrow

13. A tourist remains an outsider throughout his visit, but a sailor is part of the local scene from the moment he arrives. – Anne Davison

14. The perfection of a yacht’s beauty is that nothing should be there for only beauty’s sake.  – John MacGregor

15. A sailing vessel is alive in a way that no ship with mechanical power ever be. – Aubrey de Selincourt

16. Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made, for somewhere deep in their oaken hearts the soul of a song is laid . – Robert N. Rose

17. He that will not sail till all dangers are over must never put to sea. – Thomas Fuller

18. Until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore, you will not know the terror of being forever lost at sea. – Charles Cook

19. We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds. – Aristotle Onassis, Shipping Magnate

20. The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator. – Edmund Gibbon, Historian

21. I wanted freedom, open-air, and adventure. I found it on the sea. – Alaine Gerbault, Sailor

22. It is not the ship so much as the skilful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage. – George William Curtis

23. A ship on the port always waits for you to sail to the oceans!  – Mehmet Murat ildan

24. The only ship you can truly steer in this ocean is the one you’re sailing. Quit trying to alter the winds; harness them . – Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes

25. That’s what sailing is, a dance, and your partner is the sea. And with the sea you never take liberties. You ask her, you don’t tell her. You have to remember always that she’s the leader, not you. You and your boat are dancing to her tune. – Michael Morpurgo, Alone on a Wide Wide Sea

26. The sea hates a coward. – Eugene O’Neill

27. I was born in the breezes, and I had studied the sea as perhaps few men have studied it, neglecting all else. – Joshua Slocum

28. If my ship sails from sight, it doesn’t mean my journey ends, it simply means the river bends . – Enoch Powell

29. I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full. – Arthur Ashe

30. There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. – Kenneth Grahame

31. I was born in the breezes, and I had studied the sea as perhaps few men have studied it, neglecting all else. – Joshua Slocum

32. I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full. – Arthur Ashe

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One thought on “ Sailor Sayings and Sailing Quotes – Inspirational Quotes for Sailors ”

Twice you have the same quote in here twice: 27 & 31 (Slocum) and 29 & 32 (Ashe).

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SailingEurope Blog - Sailing, Yacht Charter and Beyond

Sailing Quotes and Phrases – Do You Speak Sailing?

You must have heard of terms like: “Land Ho!” or “Aye Aye Captain!” But did you know they were actually sailing quotes? Embarking on your first sailing adventure will surely be a whole lot easier if you already know the sailing language that speaks directly to the heart of every sailor. This article is about to show you how to sound like a true sailor in any sailing situation.

What is the importance of sailing quotes?

The sea, the sun and the wind have always been the best remedies for all diseases, broken hearts and loneliness. If you have never experienced the healing power of a day spent at sea and on a sailing ship, do it as soon as possible. You are missing out big time! Breathing in the sea air and the wind, feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin and listening to the waves crashing the rocks are truly unique experiences. And do not even get me started on sailing. Although it may sound complicated, it will be easier with our sailing guide .

So, you have decided to dedicate your life to the sea and the wind. You have mastered the art of sailing and you have started spending more and more time on board. Then you will inevitably become a sailor who lives a life according to inspiring sailing quotes ! Life on board can be tough, you can face all kinds of difficulties from bad weather or boat malfunction to boredom or feeling homesick. However, keep in mind that when you face and overcome those difficulties, this short dictionary will lift up your spirit. You might also want to share them with others as your Instagram or Facebook captions.

We have gathered here a list of famous sailing quotes and nautical terms that can help you survive the oh-so monotone days on a sailing ship. And those still dreaming about sailing can be inspired to get out of their comfort zone and embark on their first sailing adventure. As long as you are decisive and ready to work on realizing your dreams, the rest will come. While you are still just considering it, after reading our favourite quotes about sailing you will think no more!

Sailing quotes for the indecisive

• “A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John A. Shedd
• “To young men contemplating a voyage, I would say GO.” – Joshua Slocum
• “The cure for anything is saltwater – sweat, tears, or the sea.” – Isak Dinesen
• “There is nothing more enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving than the life at sea.” – Joseph Conrad
• “You haven’t lived until you’ve sailed.” – David Sedaris, Theft by Finding: Diaries
• “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Yves Cousteau

Sailing quotes for the adventurous

• “I wanted freedom, open air and adventure. I found it on the sea.” – Alaine Gerbault
• “He that will not sail till all dangers are over must never put to sea.” – Dr Thomas Fuller
• “The art of the sailor is to leave nothing to chance.” – Annie Van De Wiele
• “The sea hates a coward.” – Eugene O’Neill
• “A sailor is an artist whose medium is the wind.” – Webb Chiles
• “The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.” – Edmund Gibbon

Sailing quotes for those who need a little bit of inspiration

• “They that go down to the sea in ships, and occupy their business in great waters; these men see the works of the Lord; and His wonders in the deep.” – Book of Common Prayer
• “A bad day sailing is 100 times better than a good day at work.” – Anonymous
• “The days pass happily with me wherever my ship sails.” – Joshua Slocum
• “To be successful at sea we must keep things simple.” – Pete Culler
• “To reach a port we must set sail – Sail, not tie at anchor. Sail, not drift.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
• “No literature is richer than that of the sea. No story is more enthralling, no tradition is more secure.” – Felix Riesenberg

Sailing quotes for the courageous

In the sea of sailing quotes and nautical terms, we can highlight the ones by Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway, two of the most influential writers of all times. Get out of your comfort zone and let their words serve as your greatest encouragement.

• “Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be Pirates.” – Mark Twain
• “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain
• “A man is never lost at sea.” – Ernest Hemingway
• “The sea is the same as it has been since before men ever went on it in boats.” – Ernest Hemingway

Which sailor quotes have found their use in everyday language?

There are many phrases that we use on a regular basis that have their origin in the nautical world. However, they have lost their original meaning, so most of the time we are not aware that we are using the same phrases that were once used by sailors. We made a list of the most popular sailor phrases used in everyday language, explaining their metaphorical and original meaning.

The first example is the term feeling under the weather that people nowadays use to describe the feeling of sadness. Sailors would use this phrase when the weather was rough to warn the passengers to retreat to the lower levels of the boat to keep them safe from the storm.

We have all, not only once, experienced the calm before the storm. For example, we know that a really bad argument is always preceded by an extremely peaceful period. Sailors, on the other side, would use this phrase in the anticipation of bad weather.

People often find themselves at a loose end , meaning they do not know what to do next. When on board, something that is often loose is the rope. A loose end means that the rope is not attached properly.

Have you ever gone overboard and completely exaggerated in your actions? Similar to that, when you go overboard on a boat, it means that you literally fall out of it.

The phrase fair winds and following seas is one of the most known sailing terms. It means that the wind direction will be probably the same as the sea direction. It indicates that the sailors will probably have a “perfect day on the sea”. Furthermore, the phrase smooth sailing has a pretty similar meaning as the phrase fair winds and following seas. The smooth sailing means that there we’ll be no problems further on, everything is alright now.

The phrase Anchors Aweigh means that there are no anchors in the sea at the moment, they are all clear of the sea bottom and the boat is ready for departure.

Sailor slang – a unique way of communication

Another interesting linguistic feature that emerged from the nautical world is sailor slang. Over the years spent on the sea, sailors have developed their own way of communicating. And that language was unknown to the ones who were not part of the crew. The phrases and nautical terms that they used were short and sweet, some of the examples are:

• “Aye Aye Captain!” – a sign of approval
• “Ahoy!” – sailors would use this exclamation among themselves to call out to each other
• “Land Ho!” – an exclamation that a sailor would make when they spotted the land
• “Matey” – mate, friend
• “Me” – referring to “my”
• “Ye” – referring to the pronoun “you”
• “Yo-ho-ho…and a bottle of rum!” – the first part refers to sailors’ laughter and the second one, well, we could say that rum was their favorite beverage.

Sailor slang was highly popularized by the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow from the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Jack Sparrow is an example of a real cap’n (captain) who loved his sailing ships Black Pearl more than his life and a man who gave his life to the sea . What a great example for a modern sailor, huh? Aside from his rum-obsession and occasional cowardness, he was quite successful in his job. We are sure that you already quote him on a daily basis, but we will mention a few of his epic sailor sayings:

• “Why is the rum always gone?”
• “Hide the rum!”
• “Wherever we want to go, we go… that’s what a ship is, you know.”
• “The seas may be rough, but I am the Captain! No matter how difficult, I will always prevail.”

At the end of the day, you do not have to use sailor slang or phrases to be a sailor. Carleton Mitchell once said: “To desire nothing beyond what you have is surely happiness. Aboard a boat, it is frequently possible to achieve just that. That is why sailing is a way of life, one of the finest of lives.” Therefore, to be a successful sailor, the most important thing is to live without the fear of the unknown, to gather up the courage and start living your life to the fullest – at the sea.

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Best Sailing Quotes of all time

Best sailing quotes and mariners quotes.

Discover the best sailing quotes and mariners sayings. We often hear mariners quotes, sailing words, and proverbs from famous and unknown sailors about the ocean, the sea, their vessels, their sailing journeys or their adventures. The best mariners and sailors or sailing quotes you will find here are inspiring or funny but they all refer to a passion shared by boating enthusiasts all over the world. We also include sailing proverbs from different time and civilizations.

We decided to share them with our readers and sailors friends because they are inspiring and often tell in a few words sailors and boat lovers feel or experience at sea. Along with each quote we also indicate who the writer is and a a little bit of their accomplishment.

If you want to add your own preferred quote please contact Coboaters .  It is free and fun.

We hope you like these mariners and sailing or sailors quotes and other proverbs. You can also find them on our Coboaters Facebook and Instagram page. The quote of the week is also published every week on Coboaters home page! Happy reading!

We classified those quotes in different categories:

• Mariners and Sailing quotes from famous sailors
• Quotes and sayings from writers or artists
• Marine quotes from famous people (boat designers, scientists,
• Mariners and sailing quotes from anonymous individuals.

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1- Mariners and Sailing Quotes from famous sailors

“You do not ask a tame seagull why it needs to disappear from time to time toward the open sea.” Bernard Moitessier – Famous Sailor and adventurer- Circumnavigator in The Long Way (published in 1971)

“There is not better tool or equipment you can have on board than a well-trained crew”. Larry Pardey, Cruiser Larry Pardey lived at sea with his wife, Lin for more than 25 years.

Sail more so you can create your own quote after your experience.

Learn the best way to sail even if you do not have a boat.

“I wanted to win not as a woman, but at equal terms with all skippers.” Kirsten Neuschafer. Famous woman sailor. The first female sailor to win a circumnavigation race, the Golden Globe 2022.

“Spinnakers are perfect in lighter airs and flatter seas for crew to handle…” Unknown writer

“On the 8th day, God created RUM to prevent sailors from taking over the world”

2- Sailing quotes from Famous writers or artists

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop” – Confucius, Chinese Philosopher

“How inappropriate it is to call this planet earth when clearly it is sea” Arthur C. Clarke, English science fiction writer and undersea explorer.

“The lovely thing about cruising is that planning turns out to be of little use.” Dom Degnon, Yacht broker and freelance writer.

“Everybody in the 15th century Spain was wrong about where China was and as a result, Columbus discovered Caribbean vacations!” P.J. O’Rourke.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters in the end.” Ernest Hemingway

“I need the sea because it teaches me” Pablo Neruba

“Free man, you will always cherish the sea!” Charles Beaudelaire, French poet of the nineteenth century

“When a man comes to like a sea life, he is not fit to live on land.” Dr Samula Johnson, 18th century writer.

3- Marine quotes from famous sailors and mariners

“Prevention is, as in other aspects of seamanship, better than cure” . Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. British sailor, the first person to perform a non-stop single-handed circumnavigation of the globe.

“The cabin of a small yacht is truly a wonderful thing; not only will it shelter you from a tempest, but from the other troubles in life, it is a safe retreat” Francis Herreshoff.

“Sailboat racing becomes a game of chance only when you are not prepared” Buddy Melges.

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

“Red Sky in the morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors’ delight.” Ancient mariners

“ A sailor is an artist whose medium is the wind” Webb Chiles, American sailor, poet, and explorer who has circumnavigated the globe five times.

“ For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; In this century he is starting to realize that, in order to survive he has to protect it.” Jacques-Yves Cousteau in the 20th Century

I wanted open air, adventures, I found it on the sea” Alain Gerbault

To young men contemplating a voyage, I would say, Go!” Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail single-handedly around the world.

“The days pass happily with me wherever my ship sails” Joshua Slocum

Mariners quotes from anonymous writers

Land was created for boats to visit!

A Sailboat that sails backward can never see the sunrise

“To reach a port we must set sail – sail, not tie at anchor; sail not drift” Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Your autopilot may be your best crew but it will never be your best friend!”

“The sooner we learn how to be jointly responsible, the easier the sailing will be” Ella Maillart, Swiss adventurer, Sportwoman. Early 1900.

“Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.” Van Morrison Irish Singer – Songwriter

“There are three sorts of people: those who are alive, those who are dead, and those who are at sea” Aristotle – Greek philosopher 384-322 BC

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Join the leading crew finder network in North America . What is a crew finder or crew seekers network? The concept allows boat owners to look for crew members for their boating adventures. It is a great sailing network where boat owners meet their crew, chat, learn to know each other and spend time on the water together. There are other words to describe a crew finder network. Some people will use crew seekers platform or find a boat service or find a crew club. Thanks to our crew finder network Coboaters is proud to offer opportunities for everyone, powerboats, and sailboats. There are boating opportunities for cruising, racing, fishing, coastal or offshore navigation. You can embark on a sailing trip for a weekend, an afternoon, or a longer time, anywhere. Boat owners and crew meet on racer-cruisers, classic boats, catamarans, monohull, multihull. There are boats of any kind operated by sole owners, families or professionals. You can find crew for cross-Atlantic or cross-Pacific opportunities and very local sailing trips. Whatever your desire, you are welcome on board!

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Sailing Quotes

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To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of mankind - this is a choice which is possible for all of us; and surely it is a good haven to sail for.

To reach a port we must sail, sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it. But we must not drift or lie at anchor.

I can't control the wind but I can adjust the sail.

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.

We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.

And the winds and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.

If a man is to be obsessed by something, I suppose a boat is as good as anything, perhaps a bit better than most.

Any damn fool can navigate the world sober. It takes a really good sailor to do it drunk.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Thought is the wind, knowledge the sail, and mankind the vessel.

We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came.

Separately there was only wind, water, sail, and hull, but at my hand the four had been given purpose and direction.

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.

Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it.

The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.

The best that science can devise and that naval organization can provide must be regarded only as an aid, and never as a substitute for good seamanship.

It isn't that life ashore is distasteful to me. But life at sea is better.

If you live a life of make-believe, your life isn't worth anything until you do something that does challenge your reality. And to me, sailing the open ocean is a real challenge, because it's life or death.

If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favourable.

Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit.

I don't know who named them swells. There's nothing swell about them. They should have named them awfuls.

Most people are willing to take the Sermon on the Mount as a flag to sail under, but few will use it as a rudder by which to steer.

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• Ralph Waldo Emerson Essayist
• P. J. O'Rourke Satirist
• Dennis Conner Yachtsman
• Franklin D. Roosevelt 32nd U.S. President
• Jimmy Buffett Singer-songwriter
• Walt Whitman Poet
• John F. Kennedy 35th U.S. President
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Poet
• Hilaire Belloc Writer
• William Butler Yeats Poet
• Matt Goldman Record producer

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Sailing Report

The best sailing news from around the world.

Sailing Quotes: 50+ Of Our Favorites

Last Updated on September 23, 2020 by Amy

Whether you are just starting out and learning how to sail or have completed a world circumnavigation like us , sometimes it helps to be reminded why we do this. There are many benefits to the cruising life, and some inspirational words always help me get there. And at the moment, they make me miss cruising! That’s why I’ve compiled a list of over fifty sailing quotes to remind me how great – or how impactful, awe-inspiring, and essential the cruising life can be.

Are you just starting out? Or are you in the slumps about cruising? I hope some of these quotes about the sailing and cruising life will make you laugh, think, or even, dare I say it, want to go sailing.

Inspirational

“To reach a port we must set sail – Sail, not tie at anchor. Sail, not drift.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt

“I can’t control the wind but I can adjust the sail.” ―  Ricky Skaggs

“You must never despise the port you were born because no matter how small or how bad it is, it is the place you have started sailing to the universe!” ―  Mehmet Murat ildan

“We each have our oceans and seas that we travel on.” ―  Anthony T Hincks

“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed to an uncharted land or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” ― Helen Keller

“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.” ― John F Kennedy

“I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky. And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.” ― John Masefield

Dark Subjects

“She watched the gap between ship and shore grow to a huge gulf. Perhaps this was a little like dying, the departed no longer visible to the others, yet both still existed, only in different worlds.” ― Susan Wiggs, The Charm School

“Sometimes I pretend I’m an anchor because there’s a difference between sinking and drowning.” ―  R.I.D. Inkskinned

“When  Predator  sailed into war, she  sang . The rapid winds and rising shrieks suddenly blended into a single harmonious tone. Lines in the rigging and the yards and the masts themselves quivered in time, and began giving off their own notes of music, in harmony with one another. As the speed increased, the chord rose and rose, and built and  built , until it reached a crescendo of pure, eerie, inhuman fury. Grimm  felt  the music rise around him, felt the ship straining eagerly to her task, and his own heart raced in fierce exultation in time with her. Every line of the ship, every smudge upon her decks, every stain upon the leathers of his aeronauts leapt into his mind in vibrant detail. He could feel the ship’s motion, forward and down, could feel the wind of her passage, could feel the rising terror of his crew. One of the men screamed–one of them always did–and then the entire crew joined in with  Predator , shrieking their battle cries together with their ship’s. The ship would not fail them–Grimm knew it; he felt it, the way he could feel sunlight on his face or the rake of wind in his hair.” ―  Jim Butcher,  The Aeronaut’s Windlass

“So there you have it: hearing voices at sea is not a pathological condition. It’s quite normal. Welcome to the world of illusions at sea. Of mirages, looming, towering, stooping and sinking. Of moons that change size, suns that change shape, horizons that bend, lights that change colour, and sounds that play hide and seek. Of waves that speak, ships that effervesce and whales that turn into baby elephants. For the sea has a lobsterpot full of tricks and illusions to confuse and beguile even the most rational 21st century sailor.” ―  Nic Compton,  Off the Deep End: A History of Madness at Sea

“For I say there is no other thing that is worse than the sea is for breaking a man, even though he may be a very strong one.” ―  Homer

“Sail through the good days, and on bad days pick a spot of blue sky to steer toward.” ―  Richelle E. Goodrich,  Making Wishes

Practical Sailing Quotes

“Go small, go simple, go now” ―  Larry Pardey,  Cruising in Seraffyn

“She found out that having something to do prevented you from feeling seasick, and that even a job like scrubbing a deck could be satisfying, if it was done in a seamanlike way. She was very taken with this notion, and later on she folded the blankets on her bunk in a seamanlike way, and put her possessions in the closet in a seamanlike way, and used ‘stow’ instead of ‘tidy’ for the process of doing so. After two days at sea, Lyra decided that this was the life for her.” ―  Philip Pullman,  The Golden Compass

“A small boat that sails the river is better than a large ship that sinks in the sea.” ―  Matshona Dhliwayo

“Thing about boats is, you can always sell them if you don’t like them. Can’t sell kids.” ―  Lin Pardey,  Bull Canyon: A Boatbuilder, a Writer and Other Wildlife

“For those of you who wish to get a feel for it, get in the car and bring it up to fifty miles an hour and then stick your head and arms outside and, while driving, try to fold up a simple bath towel in the wind” ―  Gary Paulsen,  Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats

“Charter boats are like books with no covers.” ―  Tania Aebi

“One of the reasons there are so many terms for conditions of ice is that the mariners observing it were often trapped in it, and had nothing to do except look at it.” ―  Alec Wilkinson,  The Ice Balloon: S. A. Andrée and the Heroic Age of Arctic Exploration

“The winds of fortune tend to favour the sails of those who politely yell out to it, ‘Nice to meet you!” ―  Nabil Sabio Azadi

“You don’t throw a compass overboard because the ocean is calm.” ―  Matshona Dhliwayo

The Joys of Sailing Quotes

“Seas were meant to be sailed by those with salt in their veins, and love in their heart.” ―  Anthony T.Hincks

“I wanted freedom, open air, adventure. I found it on the sea.” ― Alain Gerbault

“Sailing unties the knots in my mind.” ― Al Noble

To some it’s just water. To me, it’s where I regain my sanity. ― Anonymous

“A sailing vessel is alive in a way that no ship with mechanical power ever be.” ― Aubrey de Selincourt

“There is no more thrilling sensation I know of than sailing. It comes as near to flying as man has got to yet – except in dreams.” ―  Jerome K. Jerome,  Three Men in a Boat

“Just because a sea is calm doesn’t mean that you can believe in its stillness.” ―  Anthony T. Hincks

“When I’m out sailing, I don’t wonder what heaven is like because I know.” ―  Anthony T. Hincks

It is not that life ashore is distasteful to me. But life at sea is better. ― Sir Francis Drake

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. ― Jacques Yves Cousteau

There’s nothing like lying flat on your back on the deck, alone except for the helmsman aft at the wheel, silence except for the lapping of the sea against the side of the ship. At that time you can be equal to Ulysses and brother to him. ― Errol Flynn

“Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be Pirates” —Mark Twain

“That’s what a ship is, you know—it’s not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is, really is, is freedom.” ― Captain Jack Sparrow, “Pirates of the Caribbean”

“You haven’t lived until you’ve sailed” ―  David Sedaris,  Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002

“Sometimes you need to tether your boats to stop them from following your dreams.” ―  Anthony T. Hincks

There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. ― Kenneth Grahame

“The ocean’s currents are a turbulent emotion which man has yet to come to terms with.” ―  Anthony T. Hincks

“If you are a boat that wants to sail in windy weather, you must be more stubborn than the waves!” ―  Mehmet Murat ildan

“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.” ― Aristotle Onassis

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for. ― William Shedd

“Storms draw out something out of us that calm seas don’t.” ― Bill Hybels

“I hate storms, but calms undermine my spirits.” ― Bernard Moitessier

The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore. ― Vincent Van Gogh

“The only ship you can truly steer in this ocean is the one you’re sailing. Quit trying to alter the winds; harness them.” ―  Richelle E. Goodrich,  Making Wishes

“The wind does not change, the wind only blows and gusts, and it swells and swirls, and it whispers.” ―  Christopher X. Shade,  The Good Mother of Marseille

“Maria didn’t fear the sea but, as taught by her father, she respected its power. In her experience the ocean had no intent to drown travellers.” ―  Sara Sheridan,  On Starlit Seas

“A sailor is not defined as much by how many seas he has sailed than by how many storms he has overcome.” ―  Matshona Dhliwayo

“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” ― Louisa May Alcott

Distant Horizons

“The wind tousled his hair, and Dain’s chest loosed a little as his gaze broke from the wooden maid to follow a breeze-blown gull toward the horizon. The distant salmon skies dipped over the rim of the sea, and for the first time since boarding, he wondered where the waves might take him.” ―  Micheline Ryckman,   The Maiden Ship

“I hate the strange feeling of wanting to be in two places at once, like a sailor who misses the sea as much as he misses dry land.” ― Michelle Moran, Rebel Queen

“To meditate is to sail a course, to navigate, among problems many of which we are in the process of clearing up. After each one looms another, whose shores are even more attractive, more suggestive. Certainly, it requires strength and perseverance to get to windward of problems, but there is no greater delight than to reach new shores, and even to sail, as Camoëns says, “through seas that keel has never cut before.” If you will now open a bank-account of attention for me, I foretell sun-smitten landscapes and promise archipelagoes.” ―  José Ortega y Gasset

“But that’s how it is on a sailing ship, and in this respect its journey parallels that of life: simply knowing where you want to go isn’t enough, because life is a windblown voyage, consisting mainly of the detours imposed by alternating calm and storm.” ―  Carsten Jensen,  We, the Drowned

“At the end of the day…we are anchoring into the peaceful lagoon, smiling at the majestic sun and its flirting rays, slowly slipping into the glittering ballroom of immense night skies, sipping on the platinum moon liquor under the blues of rippling waves kissing my golden foot hanging over the board of gently rocking boat, and diving into the bed of galaxies whispering magical stories of their eternal lives connecting souls…till the dawn…” ―  Oksana Rus

“And there’s that one particular harbour Sheltered from the wind Where the children play on the shore each day And all are safe within” ― Jimmy Buffett

“Midnight sail and moonlight. I remember sunset, and gentle breeze. Leaving the city lights behind, and gazing at the moon. Mountains of clouds. Waves slapping our boat. It was easy to forget that love has no direction, or need for compass. Let it guide you to its destination.” ―  Fidelis O Mkparu

“Cold November nights. It feels as if summer never happened. The beauty of setting sun, moon, and stars. Sailing to nowhere, but finding happiness in our togetherness. Never forget what we are. Stranded hearts.” ― Fidelis O. Mkparu, Love’s Affliction

“The moon was low but not full. The men set out along the dock in conversation. As they dropped onto the dark beach, Simmons declared, ‘There can be no better place in the world than this.’ Henderson had to agree. The beach was beautiful. The stars lit the sand and balmy air rode in as the waves washed up on paradise” ―  Sara Sheridan,  On Starlit Seas

“There, in the shimmering distance, was a sail. I stared in momentary disbelief, but there it was, one of the most beautiful sights the Pacific can ever offer — a ship in full sail edging her way through the blue waters.” ―  Tom Neale,  An Island to Oneself: The Story of Six Years on a Desert Island

“Life on the blue part of the globe for eight years had suited me – the wild open spaces, the bliss of buoyancy, the volatile, soul-powered wind. Sailing had struck a nerve both primal and poetic. On and near the ocean life made sense, It made every sense work.” ―  Kaci Cronkhite

“A true sailor is one who finds love in every port.” ―  Tapan Ghosh

“Never a ship sails out of bay but carries my heart as a stowaway.” ―  Roselle Mercier Montgomery

Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit. ‍ ― Brooks Atkinson

“Simply sailing in a new direction you could enlarge the world” ―  Allen Curnow

“We didn’t make it around the world, but we were able to wrap the world around us.” ―  Janis Couvreux,  Sail Cowabunga!: A Family’s 10 Years at Sea

“It had occurred to her many times that on board it didn’t matter where you were coming from or where you were heading. Each voyage had its own charisma. Like writing a book – word by word – or crossing a country – step by step – each minute had to be lived moment by moment.” ―  Sara Sheridan,  On Starlit Seas

The Cruising Lifestyle

“The cruising life isn’t for all of us. It isn’t even for most of us, but it is for some of us, and for a few of us it is essential to survival.” ―  Jim Trefethen,  The Cruising Life

“What do you do?” is not a question asked to define someone, because out here we’re all working the same jobs: yachties, mechanics, navigators, weather-readers, fishermen, adventure travelers, storytellers.” ―  Torre DeRoche,  Love with a Chance of Drowning

“At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much.” ― Robin Lee Graham

“Maybe you’re getting into the rhythm of sailing life,” says James. He looks out at the waves that are rolling in to lap against the dock. “You know, the tides going in and then out, the wind blowing east and then west, the high of a perfect day out on the water, the low of a thunderstorm or a wind that won’t go your way.” ―  Melissa C. Walker,  Unbreak My Heart

“For the most part, a sailboat navigates through its world of wind and water not leaving a single trace of its passage. Nothing is consumed. Nothing is altered. The winds and the water are left in exactly the same condition for the next user. Sailing is forever.” ― Michael B. McPhee

Quotes On Love & Crew

“We simply can’t abandon ship every time we encounter a storm in our marriage. Real love is about weathering the storms of life together.” ―  Seth Adam Smith

“He stared at her hard and long, as if he were gauging a cloudbank that might be worth the trouble to sail around rather than through.” ―  A.S. Peterson,  Fiddler’s Green

“That’s what sailing is, a dance, and your partner is the sea. And with the sea you never take liberties. You ask her, you don’t tell her. You have to remember always that she’s the leader, not you. You and your boat are dancing to her tune.” ―  Michael Morpurgo,  Alone on a Wide Wide Sea

“The only way to get a good crew is to marry one.” ― Eric Hiscock

“Now I remembered a captain’s honor and his only duty: to bring his crew back alive.” ―  Carsten Jensen,  We, the Drowned

“We of the sea come to know each other quickly; our loves, like our hates, are born of sudden dangers.” ―  Lew Wallace,  Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Quotes On Departing Ports

“I had acquired the skills to sail a ship; I didn’t acquire the knowledge.” ― Tom Holland

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ―  H. Jackson Brown Jr.,  P.S. I Love You

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ― Christopher Columbus

“The boat is safer anchored at the port; but that is not the aim of boats.” ― Paulo Coelho

“The thing that most forget while dreamily looking off into the horizon for the ship of their dreams is that such ships never sail in but are built beneath their feet.” ―  Mike Dooley

“The sea is the same as it has been since before men ever went on it in boats.” ― Ernest Hemingway

“The sea was not meant to be controlled. The sea was meant to be sailed.” ―  Jon Acuff

“The sea speaks a language polite people never repeat. It is a colossal scavenger slang and has no respect.” ― Carl Sandburg

“The sea has never been friendly to man. At most it has been the accomplice of human restlessness.” ― Joseph Conrad

“How inappropriate it is to call this planet Earth, when clearly it is Sea.” ― Arthur C. Clarke

“She loved the sea. She liked the sharp salty smell of the air, and the vastness of the horizons bounded only by a vault of azure sky above. It made her feel small, but free as well.” ―  George R.R. Martin,  A Storm of Swords

Which sailing quote is your favorite?

The post Sailing Quotes: 50+ Of Our Favorites appeared first on Out Chasing Stars .

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No Sail September

© 2024 by Sailing Report

81 Best Sailing Quotes & Captions. Stuff Boaters Really Say.

These ones speak to our salty hearts. in the sea of witty sayings, these verses truly touch us and we find them to be, ah, so true.

Looking for something emotional, spiritual, inspiring? Or, maybe witty, funny, feisty?

I have you covered.

We sailed hundreds of miles; I read through hundreds of quotes and picked the ones which show the many facets of this complicated and amazing life at sea .

You will also like this post: 85 Beloved Sailing Songs (and Karaoke). The Only Playlist you Need.

All of our posts on: Boat Life @ No Texting & Tacking .

81 Best Sailing Quotes

Why do you need sailing quotes? Why 81 of them! Use them whenever you need to:

• Lift up your spirit.
• Need something to go with that great sailing song .
• Have a great thought to accompany your morning coffee.
• Make a custom gift – these are excellent on cups and T-shirts.
• Lighten the mood.
• Say something funny before your say, “Cheers!”

Inspirational Quotes About Sailing

Sailing revealed to us the larger and, in many ways, the better side of our world. I wish I had the words to describe the feelings and emotions out on the water.

But I do not.

So, I offer to you these powerful and inspiring words of others.

1. “You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Christopher Columbus

2. “It’s remarkable how quickly a good and favorable wind can sweep away the maddening frustrations of shore living.” – Ernest K. Gann

3. “Sailors, with their built-in sense of order, service and discipline, should really be running the world.” – Nicholas Monsarrat

Be inspired: 45 Epic Sailing Movies We Will Watch Over and Over… 81 Best Sailing Quotes & Captions. Stuff Boaters Really Say.

4. “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

5. “The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.” – Edmund Gibbon

6. “Who is staring at the sea is already sailing a little.” – Paul Carvel

7. “ Remember. It was a professional who built the Titanic, it was an amateur who built Noah’s Ark.” – Vanessa Linsley

Funny Sailing Quotes

If there is one thing all boaters share, it is the sense of humor and the ability to laugh at ourselves.

These funny quotes are not always born out of fun times. But we have all been there.

And we can look back and laugh about it now.

8. Sailing: The fine art of getting wet and becoming ill while slowly going nowhere at great expense. – Henry Beard and Roy Mckie

9. Sorry for what I said when I was docking the boat. – Unknown

10. If you can’t repair it, maybe it shouldn’t be on board. – Lin and Larry Pardey

Boat life: Pros and Cons of Living on a Boat. By Experienced Boaters. Why We Never Missed Space, While Living on a Sailboat

11. “The best bilge pump of all is a bucket in the hands of a frightened man.” – Butch Dalrymple-Smith

12. “Sometimes I wonder if my sailboat is thinking about me too.” – Unknown

13. “A diesel loves her oil same as a sailor loves rum.” – Kurt Russell (Captain Ron), Captain Ron

You might be wondering: Can you Live on a Boat? Yes, and Now is the Right Time. Catamaran vs Monohull: Let’s Solve This (we Lived on Both). The Cost of Living on a Boat for our Family of Five.

14. Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit.” – Brooks Atkinson

15. “To my crew: Please be reasonable and do it my way.” The Captain – Rusty Mills

16. “When the draught of your vessel exceeds the depth of the water, you are most assuredly, aground.” – Ian Walsh

Emotional Sailing Quotes

It is hard to introduce these next quotes, without sounding like I am trying to invent one myself.

They say that on the water, the highs are really high, and the lows are really low . It is true. We have been through quite a few challenging times on the water.

But then the highs make us forget.

17. “The cure for anything is saltwater – sweat, tears, or the sea.” – Isak Dinesen

18. “He who lets the sea lull him into a sense of security is in very grave danger.” – Hammond Ines

19. “The man who never dreams, goes slowly mad.” – Thomas Dolby

20. I don’t know who named them swells. There’s nothing swell about them. They should have named them awfuls.” – Hugo Vihlen

21. If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” – Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Spiritual Sailing Quotes

We feel incredibly humbled on the water. Exposed, vulnerable, yet free and full of hope, forever admiring this incredible home God has created for us.

Few other times in my life, my prayers have been as sincere and my gratitude as genuine, as while sailing under the stars.

22. “Keep us, our God; for your ocean is so wide and our boat is so small.” – A Greek Orthodox sailor’s prayer.

23. There go the ships: [there is] that leviathan, [whom] thou hast made to play therein. – Psalm 104:26

24. The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas. – Ezekiel 27:25

25. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. – Luke 5:3

26. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. – Isaiah 42:10

27. And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: – Acts 10:11

28. “Sail with those who sail; travel with those who travel;” – Divine Liturgy prayer

Feisty Sailing Quotes

Go for it – say what you want to say. Boaters are known to speak and sing from the heart.

The thing is, when our lives depend on it, and the risks and dangers are so real, there can be little room for politeness.

Ah, that’s OK, they don’t mean it.

Actually, we do.

29. “The sea hates a coward.” – Hugh Rawson

30. “He that will not sail till all dangers are over must never put to sea.” – Thomas Fuller

31. “Only fools and passengers drink at sea.” – Allan Villiers

32. “There are more sharks on the land than in the sea.” – Neil Wheatley

33. “The right of way goes to the vessel with the least competent crew.” – Mike Baiocchi

34. “May Thor fill your sails, to the place of vengeance!” – Vikings, Season 2

35. “Only the guy who isn’t rowing has time to rock the boat.” – Jean-Paul Sartre

36. “The sea finds out everything you did wrong.” – Francis Stokes

37. “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John A. Shedd

38. “…When the storm rages fierce, Hoist the sail to the top. Oh, how merry the Storm-King appears!…” – The Northmen, a Viking Saga

39. “Now…bring me that horizon.” – Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean

Quotes About Pirates

Our kids’ morning would often start with climbing the mast, adjusting a sail, or dropping anchor. They spied for boats, found treasures after tourists left the beach, explored caves.

Except for the rum , I feel that our cruising life brought them as close to that childhood dream of being a pirate, as one can get.

40. “Every generation welcomes the pirates from the last.” – Lawrence Lessig

41. “As to hanging, it is no great hardship. For were it not for that, every cowardly fellow would turn pirate and so unfit the sea, that men of courage must starve.” – Mary Read

42. “Some pirates achieved immortality by great deeds of cruelty or derring-do. Some achieved immortality by amassing great wealth. But the captain had long ago decided that he would, on the whole, prefer to achieve immortality by not dying.” – Terry Pratchett, The Color of Magic

43. “There is nothing so desperately monotonous as the sea; I no longer wonder at the cruelty of pirates.” – James Russsell Lowell

44. “Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.” – Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

45. “Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.” – Captain Jack Sparrow, “Pirates of the Caribbean”

Boating Life and Cruising Quotes

I can probably invent at least 81 quotes on boating life , myself. I probably should.

Living on a sailboat and cruising offers an endless supply of events, feelings and emotions. Sufficient to write stories, songs and books for years to come.

Yep, boat life is that unique. Just as those people said it :

46. “It is not that life ashore is distasteful to me. But life at sea is better.” – Sir Francis Drake, Sea Captain

47. “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward

48. “Anchor as though you plan to stay for weeks, even if you intend to leave in an hour.” – Tommy Moran

49. “Only two sailors, in my experience, never ran aground. One never left port and the other was an atrocious liar.” – Don Bamford

50. “The goal is not to sail the boat, but rather to help the boat sail herself.” – John Rousmaniere

51. “The lovely thing about cruising is that planning usually turns out to be of little use.” – Dom Degnon

52. “There is no better tool or equipment you can have on board than a well-trained crew.” – Larry Pardey, cruise’There is no better tool or equipment you can have on board than a well-trained crew.” – Larry Pardey

53. “A tourist remains an outsider throughout his visit; but a sailor is part of the local scene from the moment he arrives.” – Anne Davison

54. “To be successful at sea we must keep things simple.” – R. D. (Pete) Culler

Best Quotes for the Galley

Almost any good kitchen quote can find its way into the galley of a boat.

I loved my galley and I loved cooking in it. But it was hot, with limited supplies and few conveniences and gadgets.

Oh, add the occasional seasickness , and do not wonder why I picked these witty quotes.

55. “Sandwiches are wonderful. You don’t need a spoon or a plate!” – Paul Lynde

56. “Cooking well doesn’t mean cooking fancy.” – Julia Child

57. “She who cooks, never cleans.” – Unknown

58. “I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” – W.C. Fields

59. “This evening’s forecast includes a 0% chance of me cooking.” – Unknown

60. “Save the earth! It’s the only planet with coffee.” – Unknown

61. “I read recipes the same way I read science fiction. I get to the end and I think, “Well, that’s not going to happen.” – Unknown

Quotes About the Sea

This is someone else’s world. We are merely visitors.

The sea is a world with few instructions, no signs and lots of stars. It is really, really hard not to leave you with your head spinning and wanting more.

62. “A man is never lost at sea.” – Ernest Hemingway

63. “The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

64. “Most of us, I suppose, are a little nervous of the sea. No matter what its smiles may be, we doubt its friendship.” – H.M. Tomlinson

65. “There is, one knows not what sweet mystery about the sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath.” – Herman Melville

66. “Limitless and immortal, the waters are the beginning and end of all things on earth.” – Heinrich Zimmer

67. “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep. The more I give thee, the more I have, For both are infinite.” – William Shakespeare

68. “How inappropriate it is to call this planet Earth, when clearly it is Sea.” – Arthur C. Clarke

69. “I wanted freedom, open air and adventure. I found it on the sea.” – Alaine Gerbault

70. “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Yves Cousteau

Quotes About Fishing

Ah, the joy of catching a fish, and cooking it, and being grateful for it.

It is hard to describe.

What is even harder to describe is how hard fish are to catch and the average price per fish caught, after the initial investment of all the fishing gear .

Do not get me started!

71. “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” – Vincent Van Gogh

72. “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Give him a fishing lesson and he’ll sit in a boat drinking beer every weekend.” – Alex Blackwell

73. “The two best times to fish is when it’s rainin’ and when it ain’t.” – Patrick F. McManus

74. “The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad.” – A.K. Best

75. “My biggest worry is that when I’m dead and gone, my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.” – Koos Brandt

76. “Do not tell fish stories where the people know you. Particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.” – Mark Twain

Sailing Quotes of Old

We will not be reinventing the wheel.

Here are some truths and wise words, of those who came before us. Whose eyes gazed upon those same stars, and whose feet splashed in those same waters.

We are not smarter, nor more sophisticated, nor better.

We are simply the next old.

77. A smooth sea never made skilled mariner. – Old English Saying

78. Bound is a boatless man. – Viking Expression

79. You will reach your destination, even though you travel slowly. – Old Viking saying

80. Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors, take warning. – Old Saying, unknown origin.

81. Travel far and wide and you should possess the secrets of man. – Norse Mythology

Final Thoughts: Sailing Quotes

Wow, what a fun treasure hunt!

It took a while to collect these amazing sailing quotes and captions. I hope they cheer, inspire and console your yearning, restless spirit, as they did mine.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Thank you.

Fair winds, fellow dreamer.

More sailing and traveling inspiration

45 Epic Sailing Movies We Will Watch Over and Over…

85 Beloved Sailing Songs (and Karaoke). The Only Playlist you Need.

27 Perfect Books for Boaters.

Pros and Cons of Living on a Boat. By Experienced Boaters.

Mina is the creator and owner of No Texting and Tacking. She is an award-winning author, a philologist, a registered nurse and a native Bulgarian. She turned into a travel blogger in 2018, when her family of five decided to sail and travel the world.

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21 Sailing Quotes to Help You Seas the Day

It’s time to hoist the mainsail and head for the open sea (or lake)! ⛵️

As the weather gets warmer and the days start to feel like Summer, we start itching to get out on the water. We love all kinds of water activities, but feeling the wind in our hair from a sailboat has to be one of our favorites. 

Fun fact: We own a 1978 Catalina 22 , aptly named “For Sail”

Even if you’re not a sailor, you probably know that sailing comes with its own terminology . You’ve likely heard some of the more common sailing phrases, but here are a few directional terms to use so that you can sound like a seasoned pro.

• Aft or stern : the back of the sailboat
• Bow : the front of the sailboat
• Port : the left hand side of the sailboat when you’re facing the bow. 
• Starboard : the right hand side of the sailboat when you’re facing the bow.

When you’re sailing on open waters, using the terms “left” and “right” can become confusing, so port and starboard are always defined in relation to the bow. Makes sense, right?

We love that sailing always feels like a new adventure. Every time we’re in a boat, the water is different, there is somewhere new to explore, and there is always more to learn . As we sail out onto the open water, we feel like we’re headed into the unknown. 

If you also love adventure, exploration, and being on the open water as much as we do, here are some sailing quotes that are perfect for your letter board!

At The Type Set Co., we make magnetic letters with retro charm and modern style. Shop our collection of aesthetic alphabet magnets today!

• The goal is not to sail the boat, but rather to help the boat sail herself.
• Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.
• It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.
• A smooth sea never made for a skilled sailor.
• Come sail away with me.
• “A man is never lost at sea.” - Ernest Hemingway
• Sail boats will get you schooner or later.
• Freedom, open air, and adventure are found on the sea.
• Seas the day!
• “I cannot not sail.” - E.B. White
• Land was created so boats would have a place to visit.
• Sailboat: a whole in the surface of the water into which money is thrown.
• No landlubbers allowed.
• A sailor is an artist whose medium is the wind.
• Home is where the anchor drops.
• Sorry for what I said when I was docking the boat.
• Sometimes I wonder if my sailboat is thinking about me too.
• Things I do in my spare time: go sailing, look at sailboats, think about sailboats, talk about sailboats, dream about sailboats.
• Wild and free just like the sea
• “We can’t direct the wind but we can adjust the sails” - Thomas S. Monson

Since we love to dream about sailing even when we’re not out on the water, we love the idea of decorating with these sailboat prints ! We also think these sailboat blueprints are perfect for someone who loves the technical ins and outs of sailing.

Paul is a little partial to our Orange Cream Letters, but we think Soft Magnetic Letters in blue tones would be perfect for displaying your favorite sailing quotes and thinking about the water! Try Dark Night , Blue Yonder , or Faded Denim !

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Best Sailing Quotes, Inspirational and Motivational

Sailing is full of quotes to help you stay motivated, and that’s a good thing because there will be times when you’re feeling discouraged.

Whether you’re new to sailing or a seasoned veteran of the sea, the following sailing quotes will hopefully give you some inspiration the next time you’re out on your boat.

Quotes for Sailing

“There are many old sailors and there are many brave sailors. But there are few old brave sailors.” – Unknown

“At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much.” – Robin Lee Graham, American Sailor

“Hoist the sails of choice to harness the winds of joy.” – Jonathan Lockwood Huie

“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“A bad day sailing is 100 times better than a good day at work.” – Unknown

“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” – Fitzhugh Dodson

Sailing Quotes about Life

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain , American Writer

“The sea finds out everything you did wrong.” – Francis Stokes

“Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.” – Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Philosopher “The sea finds out everything you did wrong.” ― Francis Stokes

Inspiring Sailing Quotes

“The goal is not to sail the boat, but rather to help the boat sail herself.” – John Rousmaniere, American Author

“Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be Pirates” – Mark Twain

“Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit.” – Brooks Atkinson

“I wanted freedom, open air and adventure. I found it on the sea.” – Alaine Gerbault

“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.” – Aristotle Onassis

“Less judgement than wit is more sail than ballast.” – Unknown

“Don’t make any waves! The world is a big ocean, and you’re floating in the smallest canoe.” – Unknown

Funny Sailing Quotes

“There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.” ― Willa Cather

“ You there, are you a sailor?” – “Ja’ think I’m a cowboy?” ― Popeye

“The art of the sailor is to leave nothing to chance.”  ― Annie Van De Wiele

Life is simple if you just eat, sleep, and sail.” ― Unknown

“A sailor’s joys are as simple as a child’s.” ― Bernard Moitessier

Quotes on Sailing Away

“ Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.” — Van Morrison, Irish Singer-Songwriter

“For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it’s always our self we find in the sea.” — E.E. Cummings, American Poet & Author

“Dance with the waves, move with the sea, let the rhythm of the water set your soul free.” – Christy Ann Martine, Canadian Poet

“The goal is not to sail the boat, but rather to help the boat sail herself.” – John Rousmaniere

Emotional Sailing Quotes

“Home is where the anchor drops.” — Unknown

“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed to an uncharted land or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” – Helen Keller

“A man who is not afraid of the sea will soon be drowned.” – Old fisherman from the Blasket Islands

Sailing Quotes about Love

“Drifting, On a sea of forgotten teardrops, On a lifeboat, Sailing for Your love.” – Jimi Hendrix

“Venture too far for love … and you renounce citizenship in the country you’ve made for yourself. You end up just sailing from port to port.” – Michael Cunningham

“Sailing is a big outlet for me. It’s one of the key things I’ve been able to do by commingling science with sailing and my love of the sea. Also, I have several motorcycles, and I like to go on motorcycle trips.” – Craig Venter

Motivational Sailing Quotes

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer

“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” – Seneca, Roman Philosopher

“Work like a captain and play like a pirate.” – Unknown

“The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.” – Edmund Gibbon

“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” – African quote

Good Sailing Quotes

A man is never lost at sea.” ― Ernest Hemingway

“The sea is a desert of waves, a wilderness of water.” – Langston Hughes, American Poet

“The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.” -Edmund Gibbon

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Sailboat Quotes and Sayings

Sailboats have always been a great way to get away from it all and relax. Sailboats can be good for much more than just powerboats. They can be used as water sports and adventure vehicles, fishing platforms, and many more things.

Sailboats are delightful little floating pieces of art. Whether you sail your boat on the ocean or a large pond, chances are you’ll find yourself in awe of this toy and its myriad uses.

Sailing is great fun because it satisfies the kid in all of us who once dreamed of being the captain of a ship. You can feel the wind on your face, experience the thrill of speed, and bask in the sunshine. These sailboat quotes and sayings will help capture the exciting feeling and sensation that comes with sailing.

For me, life’s a sailboat. I’ve never been happier than when I’m out on the ocean, well, maybe when I’m reading quotes. There’s always room for a sailboat on any day. Because as the saying goes, you never know what kind of day you have until you go sailing

1. A sailboat is a perfect canvas for our dreams, aspirations, and emotions. It’s the ideal escape from reality.

2. Let’s sail together, and let the wind be our guide. A day spent sailing, I’m there. A week at sea, it becomes our home.

3. Sail away, and don’t forget to always remember that the ocean is the greatest teacher.

4. There’s only one thing better than the feeling of the wind in your hair and the sun on your face: That awesome feeling when you know you’re sailing, too.

5. With the wind in your hair and the ocean in your view, life is better on the water.

6. Sailing the world, or at least our little corner of it. That’s why I enjoy sailing.

7. Throw off the lines and the anchors of your ordinary life, and set sail on a journey you’ll never forget.

8. Sail on, and seize the wind. Good things come to those who sail. Wait for a great day on the water

9. With the wind in your sails and the confidence of a captain, anything is possible on this voyage.

10. Sail on, Sailboat – the waves are there for you to keep your boat moving forward.

11. Sail hard. Sail fast. Sail far. Keep sailing as that’s how best to enjoy life.

12. Sail away on the wind of life, as a young sailor. Life is but a journey, to be enjoyed.

13. Life’s a sail and living is sailing. Coast to coast and back again. Sailing is not just a beautiful way to travel, it’s an adventure all its own.

14. Not all boats are built the same. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find your own beautiful sea story to tell.

15. Let’s have a happy and enjoyable sail. But if I were you, I’ll be careful of the sea.

16. The sea is my constant companion, and the wind is my best friend. I am your captain and you are my crew. Together we will find our way across this ocean of life.

17. Sailing is a whole new way of life, but it’s also the most natural activity there is.

18. You can only see the shore when you’re out on the water.

19. Sailing is about slowing down and taking it easy, not about sea sickness.

20. The wind is your friend. The wave is your acquaintance. And the sea is NOT your enemy.

21. The wind blows away all fears, and the sea keeps us grounded.

22. Life is like a sailboat . You’ve got to keep it moving. Sometimes that’s easy, sometimes it’s the hard way. But you’ve got to keep it going.

23. Sailboats are the best way to escape. Friends sail together and lovers sail away.

24. There’s nothing more relaxing than sailing on a beautiful day.

25. Sail away and leave everything behind, you’re in the middle of a dream and it feels so good.

26. Sailing on the open sea, there’s no horizon. It’s an endless expanse of blue sky and water.

27. When you sail, there are no boundaries and no fear of losing yourself. You’re free in a way you’ve never known otherwise.

28. Sailing is a calm, relaxing sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Indeed, a life on the water is a life well spent.

29. Let’s take a break from the hustle and bustle of it all. Let’s escape to the open sea and enjoy the view, good times, and memories.

30. There are no rules. There is only doing what you enjoy and making it better and that applies to sailing.

31. Sailboats are so much fun. And such a great way to get from one place to another with a friend or loved one. Sailboards are even more fun!

32. You can’t help falling in love with something that relaxes your mind and that’s a sailboat

33. I love sailboats for the way they bounce and buzz in the water, just like old friends.

34. The joy of sailing is a feeling that you can’t explain. It’s a feeling that takes over your whole body, it’s addicting.

35. Sailboats are the perfect way to spend a sunny day. Even if you’re not into sailing, I guarantee you’ll feel like a kid again, just from smelling the salty wind.

36. Sailing is for people who love life and who want to share it with others.

37. Sailing is like a hug, you never know how enjoyable it will be until it happens.

38. Nothing beats the feeling of sailing with friends, family, and loved ones.

39. Sailing on a boat is the most enjoyable way to travel. It’s just you, the wind, and the sea.

40. There is nothing like sailing on a gorgeous day. Great fun and great memories. The wind in your hair, the ocean below, and a timeless moment with your friends and family.

41. Sailing is an activity that enriches the soul. It brings relaxation, joy, and peace of mind.

42. Sail a boat, you don’t have to watch the clock. Time flies when you’re having fun!

43. Sailing is the only thing that can beat a good book.

44. The best way to travel is by sailboat. The sea is always calling us back to our roots and it’s always a great place for new adventures!

45. Sail away and feel free. Sail away but find your way back home.

46. It’s always good to have a little time to yourself. Take a day off, go sailing, and explore the wonders of life.

47. The sea is a highway of dreams. The sky is the roof of life. Sail away and don’t look back.

48. Life is too short to worry about what people think. Take it easy on yourself, enjoy yourself and go sailing.

Sailing Boat Quotes

A sailing boat is like a really big bathtub: you’re suspended in the middle of this massive wave, with nothing to do but enjoy it. A Sailboat life is that of a great adventure. Sail with purpose, reach for the horizon and tell yourself every day will be better than the last. Life is a sailboat, you just have to grab the oars and row.

49. Everything about sailboats is fun . The joy of sailing together on a beautiful day, seeing the world from new perspectives, and sharing a special moment with that special someone.

50. A sailboat is the perfect way to spend a day on the water. It’s a vessel that invites adventure and discovery.

51. When you’re on a sailboat, you don’t have to be all work and no play.

52. When you’re out on a sailboat and you feel the wind in your hair, that is when you realize how fortunate you are to be alive.

53. Sail your boat and enjoy the breeze. Sailboats are like really great coffee. They hit your system fast, and leave you feeling good for hours.

54. Sailing is the most enjoyable activity there is.

55. Sailing has the power to transport you to a time and place that is closer to the heart than it is to your head.

56. Life is like sailing. There’s always wind and a way for you to keep going.

57. Enjoy the moment, because life is too short to take anything seriously.

58. A sailboat is like a silent movie. It moves across the water, lifting you and letting you drift back down. It’s an island of stillness in an ocean of noise.

59. Life is full of sailing moments. Let’s go and enjoy it!

60. The beauty of sailing is that you can take your time and enjoy the journey.

61. Feel free to stop by the marina whenever you want, because nothing short of a sailboat adventure is complete without an ice cream cone.

62. The winds may blow, and the waves may rise, but with a smile on your face, you’re always safe.

63. Sailing is a simple, fulfilling, and wonderfully easy way to spend time with yourself.

64. When you’re sailing, the wind doesn’t care if you come from a landlocked state or not.

65. Sailing may be an escape, but it’s also a way of life. And as long as there are storms at sea, I’ll always be at peace.

66. Sail away, don’t let the anchor weigh you down.

67. When it comes to the sea, there’s a rhythm to sailing. You have to keep the beat.

68. The ocean is a place where dreams are born, even if they’re just in our heads.

69. A sailboat gives the ultimate open-water adventure. It’s the freedom to go where you want when you want. The only limit is your imagination.

70. Life is like a sailboat. Learn to love the sea and you will love life.

71. When you are sailing, every day is a new adventure. Let’s sail, where there’s no telling what tomorrow will bring.

72. The wind in your hair. The sound of the waves. A boat ride with your favourite people. They’re all things that make life worth living.

73. Sailing is a state of mind – but it’s also the heart and the soul.

74. Nautical life isn’t always easy. But the good times and bad away from the shore are always worth it.

75. The wind is blowing, and the captain’s standing at the wheel. There’s nothing to do but brace for it—and enjoy every minute.

76. That feeling you get when you’re on the water and are totally in your element. This is life.

77. Sometimes you just have to relax and let the wind take you where it wants. A sailboat is not only a boat, it’s a way of life.

78. A sailboat knows what it wants. It doesn’t need a map or an instrument, just a breeze and the open sea.

79. To live is to enjoy the sunshine, and to enjoy the sunshine you need a sailboat.

80. Sail around the world with your friends, family, or even strangers. It’s a good time to be alive!

Sailing Ship Quotes

The sea is calm, the winds are light, and the sky is blue. There is no better place to be than on a sailing ship. The best thing about sailing is that when the wind drops, you’re still on course and all of a sudden you see land. Sail away with us, we’ve got the perfect sailship that you will love.

81. Some people go out on the water looking for adventure. Others find it, and some others make it come to them

82. Sailing ships are the best way to travel, especially when they’re in a beautiful place.

83. Sailing has so much to offer: wind, waves, sea, and sky. How enjoyable it is!

84. Sailing through life is like sailing on a ship: you never know what’s going to happen next.

85. A friendly sail aboard a sailing ship—there’s nothing better. A day on the water, looking at the horizon, appreciating the breeze in your hair.

86. Sail away with us on a voyage to the sea. Sailing is like a vacation in your boat, one of the best!

87. The joy of sailing is all in the journey, not in reaching your destination.

88. The perfect time to sail, is always when you’re in one.

89. In sailing, it’s not just the ship that moves, but also the wind.

90. It’s fun to be on a sailboat. And even more, fun when you’re cruising among the islands, visiting each one with your loved ones.

91. The best way to describe a sailboat is: a boat that’s moving forward, but not too fast.

92. Sailing into the sunset on an ocean breeze. Sail away with a good book, and a cup of coffee.

93. The sea has no end. When you’re sailing, you can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails and let it blow you where you want to go.

94. Sailing is the joint relaxation of mind and body. Let the wind and sea take you where you want to go.

95. Sailing on a wave of laughter, a wind of meditation, the sun on your face, the ocean in your heart, and the sky above you.

96. There’s nothing more relaxing than sailing with friends .

97. To sail is to be free, to sail alone is to be free from all the conflicts that threaten us at home.

98. Just when you’re looking for something to do on a rainy day, the clouds part, and there it is—a sunny sailboat sailing on the horizon!

99. Sail away to a new day. Sail on, my friend. Sail along to your greatest adventures, never giving up on your dreams.

100. It’s a beautiful day to be on a sailing ship, with the waves lapping against the deck, and a soft breeze blowing through your hair. What more could you ask for?

I hope you enjoyed this compilation of sailboat quotes and sayings. Since the boat is a means of enjoyment and entertainment, if you are a sailing enthusiast, then it is mandatory to have one of these sailboat quotes and sayings as your reminder.

Please share this post with your loved ones, too.

Watch CBS News

Search resuming for 6 missing and presumed dead after Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore

By Brian Dakss , Kerry Breen , S. Dev

Updated on: March 27, 2024 / 5:42 AM EDT / CBS News

The search was to resume Wednesday morning for six people missing and presumed dead in the wake of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. It crumbled early Tuesday  after a support column was hit by a large container ship that had lost power, sending people and vehicles into the Patapsco River, authorities said.

Two people were rescued from the water Tuesday.

All eight people were part of a construction crew that was filling potholes on the bridge at the time, Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath of the U.S. Coast Guard said at a news conference Tuesday evening. Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Security Board, said Tuesday afternoon that the workers were employed by a local company, Brawner Builders. 

One of the rescued workers was unhurt. The other was treated at the University of Maryland Medical Center and has been discharged, CBS News Baltimore reported. 

Search and rescue operations were suspended at 7:30 p.m. ET as officials transitioned to recovery efforts.

"Based on the length of time that we've gone in this search, the extensive search efforts that we've put into it, the water temperature — that at this point we do not believe that we're going to find any of these individuals still alive," Gilreath said.

Col. Roland Butler Jr., with Maryland State Police, said conditions in the water, including changing currents, low visibility and sharp metal objects, made it dangerous for divers and first responders. 

Divers were to begin recovery operations at 6 a.m. ET Wednesday, Butler Jr. said, adding that officials didn't know where the victims are located.

The nonprofit organization CASA identified one of the missing workers as Miguel Luna, from El Salvador. "He is a husband, a father of three, and has called Maryland his home for over 19 years," CASA executive director Gustavo Torres said in a statement Tuesday night.

Guatemala's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said two of the missing workers were from that country. One was 26 years old and the other was 35 years old, according to the ministry. The state's consul general was on site assisting the affected families.

Honduras' Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio García told The Associated Press a Honduran citizen, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, was missing. García said he'd been in contact with Suazo's family.  

The Mexican Embassy in Washington said there were Mexicans among the six as well.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said at an earlier news conference   Tuesday afternoon, "There is not a single resource we will hold off on deploying ... to make sure that this search and rescue operation is carried out to its fullest intent."

"Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of the victims," Moore said in a Tuesday evening statement after the rescue efforts were called off. "We will continue to work in partnership with leaders at the local, state, and federal levels to ensure that we can provide all those affected with the closure they deserve."

Maryland Democratic Rep. David Trone told CBS News recovery efforts will likely be conducted with underwater drones. He said the drones will be able to locate the vehicles and that authorities have identified one in particular that likely has casualties.

Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, told The Associated Press the construction crew was working in the middle of the bridge's span when the crash happened. 

"This was so completely unforeseen," Pritzker said. "We don't know what else to say."

"We take such great pride in safety, and we have cones and signs and lights and barriers and flaggers," he added. "But we never foresaw that the bridge would collapse."

Moore declared a state of emergency shortly after the collapse, saying in a statement that "we are working with an interagency team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration. We are thankful for the brave men and women who are carrying out efforts to rescue those involved and pray for everyone's safety."

The ship — the Singapore-flagged Dali — was operated by charter vessel company Synergy Marine Group and was chartered by Maersk, carrying Maersk customers' cargo, the companies said. 

There were 22 crew members, including two pilots, aboard the ship, according to a statement from Synergy. All 22 are Indian nationals. Synergy said it had activated its incident response team and is cooperating with state and federal officials. Homendy said the NTSB is communicating with Singaporean officials as part of their investigation. 

Wiedefeld said that FBI was on the scene "to see if there was any terrorism connection, which there is not." 

William DelBagno, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Baltimore field office, said at a subsequent news conference that "there is no specific or credible information to suggest that there are ties to terrorism in this incident." 

An FBI official told CBS News FBI dive teams had joined in the search for the missing and that the FBI underwater search and evidence response team was in the water. The FBI has also sent a victim specialist to assist families impacted by the incident. 

The NTSB said Tuesday morning that it had dispatched a 24-person team to investigate the incident. At the time, the team was waiting to board the ship to enable search and rescue operations to continue, and it hoped to access recordings from the ship Tuesday night or Wednesday, Homendy said.  

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, said it would provide some 1,100 specialists to help in the recovery. 

"In accordance with USACE's federal authorities, USACE will lead the effort to clear the Federal channel as part of the larger interagency recovery effort," the USACE said. "Together with local, state, and federal partners, they are working closely to determine the key actions required to remove the fallen bridge."

Ship had a "power issue" before the collision

Officials have confirmed that the ship lost power right before the collision. Moore said the crew notified authorities of a "power issue." 

Two U.S. officials told CBS News multiple alarms rang out on the ship, alerting pilots and crew to an issue on board. The crew ran several system tests to attempt to remedy the loss of propulsion from the motor, but the tests proved unsuccessful. At that point, the pilot alerted the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Authority. 

Roughly two minutes elapsed between when the ship's pilot notified state authorities of an issue on board and when the bridge collapsed, Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski said.

Officials said in a news conference that the call allowed officials to order a mayday and stop traffic onto the bridge.

Moore said that the decision to stop traffic onto the bridge "saved lives last night." Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told CBS News the mayday call "saved many lives" and allowed emergency personnel to get to the scene quickly.  

Officials did not clarify how many vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Infrared video showed that vehicles did enter the water, but it's not clear if those vehicles had occupants. Multiple vehicles remained in the river as of mid-morning. 

Homendy said it was too early in the investigation to clarify an exact timeline of events for the accident. 

The ship's crew made an effort to deploy the anchor, though it remains unclear how much progress was made, multiple officials said.

"If it lost steering and power, then basically it's a dead ship just being carried by the current or its own momentum," James Mercante, the president of the New York Board of Pilot Commissioners, told CBS News.

He said video shows a "big, big puff of black, real dark black smoke" which might indicate that the vessel's power was "restored at the last minute" and that the pilot was "attempting to make an emergency maneuver" to prevent the collision. However, it would be difficult to stop the 900-foot-long vessel. 

"It would take quite a while — probably the length of five [or] six football fields — to bring that ship to a stop, even after dropping the anchors, because of its power and momentum. This is a behemoth," Mercante said. 

"An unthinkable tragedy"

The Baltimore mayor headed to the scene and told reporters at a morning briefing that  the collapse was "an unthinkable tragedy."

"We have to first and foremost pray for all of those who are impacted, those families, pray for our first responders and thank them," Scott said.

A witness  told CBS News Baltimore  the sound of the collapse was massive, shaking his home. 

"Earthquake — sounded like a big bash of thunder," the resident said. "And then just like I said it felt like an earthquake, the whole house vibrated. Like my house was falling down."

The man said he never thought in his "wildest dreams" he would see something like this happen. 

Shipping in and out of the Port of Baltimore has been halted. Moore said that it was too early to estimate how long it would take to rebuild the bridge or for shipping to resume. 

"Our exclusive focus is on saving lives. Our exclusive focus is on search and rescue," he said. 

Location of the Key Bridge in Baltimore

The Francis Scott Key Bridge spans the Patapsco River, a key waterway that serves with the Port of Baltimore as a hub for East Coast shipping. 

CBS News Baltimore reports that the 1.6-mile span was used by some 31,000 people per day and carried 11.5 million vehicles annually.

The Maryland Transportation Authority  said  all lanes were closed in both directions on I-695.  Traffic was being detoured to I-95 and I-895.

All ship traffic at the port, the second-largest seaport in the mid-Atlantic region, has been halted. According to Census data, the Port of Baltimore handled more than $80 billion in imports and exports in 2023, marking a 20-year record.

The Baltimore Sun reports that the port is going to lose some $15 million per day in economic activity due to its closure. The newspaper cites Daraius Irani, chief economist at the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University, as coming up with that estimate.

According to a CBS News  report , the port directly supports 15,300 jobs, while another 140,000 in the area are related to port activities. The jobs provide a combined $3.3 billion in personal income.

The bridge, which opened in 1977, is named after the writer of "The Star-Spangled Banner." 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on social media that he's "spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT's support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge. Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response."

—Pat Milton, Nicole Sganga and other CBS News and CBS News Baltimore staff members contributed reporting.

• Francis Scott Key Bridge
• Bridge Collapse
• Patapsco River

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