The best ship sails a zigzag of a hundred tacks.

What it means

A sailboat cannot sail straight into the wind, so it tacks back and forth. Up close the route looks messy, but from far enough away it is a straight line. A life lived honestly looks the same way.

The source

"The best ship sails a zigzag of a hundred tacks." Ralph Waldo Emerson said it in Self-Reliance (Essays: First Series, 1841). Written in English: Essays: First Series, 1841.

"The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. See the line from a sufficient distance, and it straightens itself to the average tendency."

Original English (Essays: First Series, 1841), Self-Reliance (Essays: First Series, 1841). Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882). American essayist and lecturer who led the Transcendentalists. His lines here come from Nature, Self-Reliance and his Essays.

Questions

What does "The best ship sails a zigzag of a hundred tacks." mean?

A sailboat cannot sail straight into the wind, so it tacks back and forth. Up close the route looks messy, but from far enough away it is a straight line. A life lived honestly looks the same way.

Who said "The best ship sails a zigzag of a hundred tacks."?

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882). Source: Self-Reliance (Essays: First Series, 1841).

What is the original wording?

The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. See the line from a sufficient distance, and it straightens itself to the average tendency (Original English (Essays: First Series, 1841)). Written in English: Essays: First Series, 1841.

Is "The best ship sails a zigzag of a hundred tacks." on a shirt?

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

"The best ship sails a zigzag of a hundred tacks." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance (Essays: First Series, 1841), trans. Original English (Essays: First Series, 1841)). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/the-best-ship-sails-a-zigzag-of-a