At sea, you don't choose the wind.

What it means

Once you are underway, you deal with the conditions you get. Planning matters, but the weather has its own plans. Adjust the sails and keep going.

The source

"At sea, you don't choose the wind." This French proverb is recorded in Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857), French Proverbs. Translated from the original French by Spartan Surfers.

"Qui est sur la mer, il ne fait pas des vents ce qu'il veut."

Original French, Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857), French Proverbs. Text read at archive.org.

Who said it

Proverbs of the world (Every age). Sayings from the Latin, Greek, Norse, Japanese, Chinese and more, each traced to an old source in its own language.

Questions

What does "At sea, you don't choose the wind." mean?

Once you are underway, you deal with the conditions you get. Planning matters, but the weather has its own plans. Adjust the sails and keep going.

Who said "At sea, you don't choose the wind."?

French proverb. Source: Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857), French Proverbs.

What is the original French?

Qui est sur la mer, il ne fait pas des vents ce qu'il veut. Translated from the original French by Spartan Surfers.

Is "At sea, you don't choose the wind." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"At sea, you don't choose the wind." (French proverb, Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857), French Proverbs, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/at-sea-you-dont-choose-the-wind