Joshua Slocum

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

1. To young men contemplating a voyage I would say go.

   Slocum, the first person to sail alone around the world, ends his book with this advice. The scary stories, he adds, are mostly exaggerated. If the trip is calling you, go.

   Sailing Alone Around the World (1900), ch. 21, Original English (Sailing Alone Around the World, 1900)

2. I sailed alone with God.

   After thirty hours at the helm through the Strait of Magellan, Slocum reached open ocean and took off his hat. Alone at sea he did not feel alone. Big solitude can be full.

   Sailing Alone Around the World (1900), ch. 10, Original English (Sailing Alone Around the World, 1900)

3. The wonderful sea charmed me from the first.

   Slocum was on the water at eight and never really left. Some people find their element early. If the ocean took you young, that is not a phase; it is a calling.

   Sailing Alone Around the World (1900), ch. 1, Original English (Sailing Alone Around the World, 1900)

4. I was born in the breezes.

   Slocum tried to quit the sea and could not; he had studied it his whole life. Know where you were born to be. Then study it harder than anyone.

   Sailing Alone Around the World (1900), ch. 1, Original English (Sailing Alone Around the World, 1900)

5. Even the worst sea is not so terrible to a well-appointed ship.

   Slocum rebuilt his small sloop by hand and it carried him around the world. Preparation turns terror into weather. Rig yourself well and the storm becomes survivable.

   Sailing Alone Around the World (1900), ch. 21, Original English (Sailing Alone Around the World, 1900)

6. The sea has been much maligned.

   After three years alone on it, Slocum defends the ocean against its bad reputation. Respect it, prepare for it, and it is mostly kind. The same is true of many things people warn you about.

   Sailing Alone Around the World (1900), ch. 21, Original English (Sailing Alone Around the World, 1900)

7. Know the laws that govern the winds, and know that you know them.

   Slocum says real knowledge, tested and trusted, gives you an easy mind. Otherwise you tremble at every cloud. Learn your craft until you are sure of it.

   Sailing Alone Around the World (1900), ch. 11, Original English (Sailing Alone Around the World, 1900)

8. Patience is all that is required.

   The explorer Henry Morton Stanley called Slocum an example of patience, and Slocum answered with this. Crossing oceans in a small boat is mostly waiting for the right wind. Most big goals are too.

   Sailing Alone Around the World (1900), ch. 17, Original English (Sailing Alone Around the World, 1900)

9. I met Neptune in his wrath. I had not treated him with contempt.

   Slocum faced terrible storms and came through because he never took the sea lightly. Respect for what can kill you is what keeps you alive. Treat the ocean, and any big force, without arrogance.

   Sailing Alone Around the World (1900), ch. 21, Original English (Sailing Alone Around the World, 1900)

10. The loneliness wore off when the gale was high and there was work to do.

    Slocum noticed solitude hurt most in fine weather, when there was nothing to do. Hard work in a storm crowded out the loneliness. When you feel low, find a task.

    Sailing Alone Around the World (1900), ch. 3, Original English (Sailing Alone Around the World, 1900)