{"id":3071,"date":"2014-03-30T10:17:39","date_gmt":"2014-03-30T09:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lovesail.com\/ls-news\/?p=3071"},"modified":"2025-09-14T10:44:24","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T09:44:24","slug":"sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Sailing Tattoos and their Meaning Part II"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"427\" data-end=\"474\">This post is the second in our two-part series exploring traditional sailor tattoos. If you haven\u2019t already, you may like to start with <a class=\"decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/sailor-tattoos\/\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"246\" data-end=\"306\"><strong data-start=\"247\" data-end=\"302\">Part I: Sailor Tattoos \u2013 Their History and Meanings<\/strong><\/a>.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"476\" data-end=\"776\">Tattoos have been closely associated with sailors for many years. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that many of the tattoo designs inked onto the skin of nautical adventurers carried a deeper significance. Here we look at five more designs that have often appeared on the flesh of sailors.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"778\" data-end=\"792\">Mermaids<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"793\" data-end=\"1109\">The sea has always inspired myth and legend, and mermaids were a popular tattoo motif among sailors. They symbolised the allure and danger of the ocean: beautiful, mysterious, and sometimes perilous. To some, a mermaid tattoo represented temptation; to others, it was a charm to bring good fortune on long voyages.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1111\" data-end=\"1125\">Harpoons<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1126\" data-end=\"1397\">Another tool often depicted in sailor tattoos is the harpoon. While many might associate it with whaling, the harpoon tattoo actually showed that the mariner had served in a fishing fleet. As with many designs, these tattoos often recorded the sailor\u2019s past experience.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1399\" data-end=\"1420\">Crossed Cannons<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1421\" data-end=\"1689\">Crossed cannons or guns were a sign that the sailor had served in a military capacity at sea. This design was more commonly found among members of the Royal Navy or the US Navy. Sometimes crossed cannons were used, while other gun types also appeared in tattoo form.<\/p>\n<article class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-turn-id=\"request-68c00b36-912c-8323-928a-f8149a1bd1c9-0\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-18\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"assistant\">\n<div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] thread-sm:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] thread-lg:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\">\n<div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] thread-sm:[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] thread-lg:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-5\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"42dc626a-5c19-49b1-9592-945c39b11b01\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full break-words light markdown-new-styling\">\n<h3 data-start=\"1691\" data-end=\"1709\">Memento Mori<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1710\" data-end=\"2083\">Sailor tattoos were not always about profession or travel; they also carried spiritual meaning. A \u201cmemento mori,\u201d or reminder of death, was a way for sailors to remember a comrade lost at sea. One common design was a swallow with a dagger through it. Since swallows already symbolised safe return, this darker variation was a poignant reminder of mortality and sacrifice.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2085\" data-end=\"2100\">Hold Fast<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2101\" data-end=\"2411\">The words <em data-start=\"2111\" data-end=\"2122\">Hold Fast<\/em> were sometimes tattooed across the knuckles, one word on each hand. Originally linked to oarsmen, the design spread to sailors of all kinds. It served both as a practical reminder to grip ropes and rigging securely and as a talisman to keep the sailor safe during storms and rough seas.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2101\" data-end=\"2411\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5476\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\/holdfast\/#main\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/holdfast.jpg?fit=528%2C378&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"528,378\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"holdfast\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/holdfast.jpg?fit=528%2C378&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5476\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/holdfast.jpg?resize=528%2C378&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"sailing tattoos\" width=\"528\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/holdfast.jpg?w=528&amp;ssl=1 528w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/holdfast.jpg?resize=300%2C215&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/holdfast.jpg?resize=419%2C300&amp;ssl=1 419w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2413\" data-end=\"2445\">Sailor-Style Tattoos Today<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2446\" data-end=\"2806\">Although few modern sailors face the same dangers as their forebears, these designs remain part of tattoo culture. Classic sailor imagery\u2014anchors, swallows, ships, mermaids\u2014lives on in \u201cold school\u201d or American traditional tattoo styles. Bold outlines, vibrant colours, and timeless symbols ensure their popularity even among those who have never been to sea.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2808\" data-end=\"3090\">In recent years, <em data-start=\"2825\" data-end=\"2842\">neo-traditional<\/em> tattooing has refreshed these designs with richer colour palettes, fine details, and shading, while retro styles celebrate their mid-century roots. Whether worn for heritage, superstition, or style, sailor tattoos continue to inspire and endure.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2808\" data-end=\"3090\">Want to read more? Take a look at <a class=\"decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/sailor-tattoos\/\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"432\" data-end=\"492\"><strong data-start=\"433\" data-end=\"488\">Sailor Tattoos: Their History and Meanings \u2013 Part I<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9493\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/sailing-word-search\/new-logo-2025-main\/#main\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/new-logo-2025-Main.jpg?fit=300%2C70&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"300,70\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"new logo 2025 Main\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/new-logo-2025-Main.jpg?fit=300%2C70&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9493\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/new-logo-2025-Main.jpg?resize=300%2C70&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"lovesail\" width=\"300\" height=\"70\" \/><\/p>\n<p>From tattoos to salty tales, sailors have always shared their passion for the sea. At Lovesail, you can connect with others who share yours &#8211; whether for dating, friendship, or crewing opportunities. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/users\/signup\">Join our<\/a> global sailing community today.<\/p>\n<p><em>Image courtesy of <a href=\"http:\/\/sailorjerry.com\/uk\/tattoos\/\">Sailor Jerry<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This post is the second in our two-part series exploring traditional sailor tattoos. If you haven\u2019t already, you may like to start with Part I: Sailor Tattoos \u2013 Their History and Meanings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[6731,6733,6732,6730,405,455,404],"class_list":["post-3071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-crossed-cannons","tag-hold-fast","tag-memento-mori","tag-mermaid","tag-sailing-tattoos","tag-sailor-jerry","tag-sailor-tattoos"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sailing Tattoos and Their Meanings \u2013 Lovesail Sailing Community<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sailing tattoos once marked voyages and rank \u2014 today they\u2019re timeless designs. Learn the meaning behind mermaids, harpoons, cannons, and more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sailing Tattoos and their Meaning Part II\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This post is the second in our two-part series exploring traditional sailor tattoos. If you haven\u2019t already, you may like to start with Part I: Sailor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"news\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LoveSail\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-03-30T09:17:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-14T09:44:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/mermaid2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"375\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Erica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erica\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Erica\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6f008703429f2d9a45ff9772c08f272c\"},\"headline\":\"Sailing Tattoos and their Meaning Part II\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-03-30T09:17:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-14T09:44:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":510,\"commentCount\":2,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/03\\\/mermaid2.jpg?fit=300%2C375&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"crossed cannons\",\"hold fast\",\"memento mori\",\"mermaid\",\"sailing tattoos\",\"sailor jerry\",\"sailor tattoos\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sailing Tattoos and Their Meanings \u2013 Lovesail Sailing Community\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/sailing-tattoos-and-their-meaning-part-ii\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.lovesail.com\\\/ls-news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/03\\\/mermaid2.jpg?fit=300%2C375&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-03-30T09:17:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-14T09:44:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"Sailing tattoos once marked voyages and rank \u2014 today they\u2019re timeless designs. 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