Never trust her at any time when the calm sea shows her false alluring smile.

I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm’s way.

Seamen are the nearest to death and the furthest from God.

As to the sea itself, love it you cannot. Why should you? I will never believe again the sea was ever loved by anyone whose life was married to it. It is the creation of omnipotence, which is not of humankind and understandable, and so the springs of its behavior are hidden.

I never even saw the use of the sea. Many a sad heart has it caused, and many a sick stomach has it occasioned! The boldest sailor climbs on board with a heavy soul and leaps on land with a light spirit.

The sea yields action to the body, meditation to the mind, the world to the world, all parts thereof to each part, by this art of arts—navigation.

What will not attract a man’s stare at sea?—a gull, a turtle, a flying fish!

And to our age’s drowsy blood / Still shouts the inspiring sea.

The Mediterranean has the colors of a mackerel, changeable I mean. You don’t always know if it is green or violet—you can’t even say it’s blue, because the next moment the changing light has taken on a tinge of pink or gray.

Ocean. A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man—who has no gills.

Of all objects that I have ever seen, there is none which affects my imagination so much as the sea or ocean. A troubled ocean, to a man who sails upon it, is, I think, the biggest object that he can see in motion, and consequently gives his imagination one of the highest kinds of pleasure that can arise from greatness.

Seafarers go to sleep in the evening not knowing whether they will find themselves at the bottom of the sea the next morning.

The sole business of a seaman onshore who has to go to sea again is to take as much pleasure as he can.