Joshua Slocum Quotes

• To young men contemplating a voyage I would say go. The tales of rough usage are for the most part exaggerations, as also are the tales of sea danger. To face the elements is, to be sure, no light matter when the sea is in its grandest mood. You must then know the sea, and know that you know it, and not forget that it was made to be sailed over.

  Joshua Slocum

  Men, Light, Sea

  Joshua Slocum (1985). “The Voyages of Joshua Slocum”, p.381, Sheridan House, Inc.

  59 Copy quote

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

  Joshua Slocum

  Inspirational, Funny, Encouraging

  Joshua Slocum (1985). “The Voyages of Joshua Slocum”, p.381, Sheridan House, Inc.

  63 Copy quote

• But where, after all, would be the poetry of the sea were there no wild waves?

  Joshua Slocum

  Uplifting, Hard Times, Sea

  Joshua Slocum, Applewood Books (CRT) (2006). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.193, Applewood Books

  50 Copy quote

• To know the laws that govern the winds, and to know that you know them, will give you an easy mind on your voyage round the world; otherwise you may tremble at the appearance of every cloud.

  Joshua Slocum

  Clouds, Wind, Law

  Joshua Slocum, Applewood Books (CRT) (2006). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.146, Applewood Books

  33 Copy quote

• The days pass happily with me wherever my ship sails.

  Joshua Slocum

  Inspirational, Funny, Sea

  31 Copy quote

• I had already found that it was not good to be alone, and so I made companionship with what there was around me, sometimes with the universe and sometimes with my own insignificant self; but my books were always my friends, let fail all else.

  Joshua Slocum

  Book, Being Alone, Self

  Joshua Slocum, Applewood Books (CRT) (2006). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.145, Applewood Books

  32 Copy quote

• As for myself, the wonderful sea charmed me from the first.

  Joshua Slocum

  Sea, Ships, Firsts

  Joshua Slocum (1985). “The Voyages of Joshua Slocum”, p.226, Sheridan House, Inc.

  16 Copy quote

• I once knew a writer who, after saying beautiful things about the sea, passed through a Pacific hurricane, and he became a changed man.

  Joshua Slocum

  Beautiful, Men, Sea

  Joshua Slocum, Applewood Books (CRT) (2006). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.193, Applewood Books

  17 Copy quote

• Remember, Lord, my ship is small and thy sea is so wide!

  Joshua Slocum

  Sea, Ships, Remember

  Joshua Slocum, Applewood Books (CRT) (2006). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.98, Applewood Books

  13 Copy quote

• To be taken into account were some years of schooling, where I studied with diligence Neptune's laws, and these laws I tried to obey when I sailed overseas; it was worth the while.

  Joshua Slocum

  Taken, Years, Law

  Joshua Slocum, Applewood Books (CRT) (2006). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.280, Applewood Books

  22 Copy quote

• About midnight the fog shut down again denser than before. One could almost "stand on it." It continued so for a number of days, the wind increasing to a gale. The waves rose high, but I had a good ship. Still, in the dismal fog I felt myself drifting into loneliness, an insect on the straw in the midst of the elements.

  Joshua Slocum

  Loneliness, Fog, Wind

  Joshua Slocum (1985). “The Voyages of Joshua Slocum”, p.238, Sheridan House, Inc.

  21 Copy quote

• Now, it it well known that one cannot step on a tack without saying something about it.

  Joshua Slocum

  Steps, Well Known, Wells

  Joshua Slocum, Applewood Books (CRT) (2006). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.103, Applewood Books

  13 Copy quote

• I was born in the breezes, and I had studied the sea as perhaps few men have studied it, neglecting all else.

  Joshua Slocum

  Men, Sea Breeze, Sailing

  Joshua Slocum (2009). “The Annotated Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.2, Sheridan House, Inc.

  11 Copy quote

• Good work in the building of my vessel stood me always in good stead.

  Joshua Slocum

  Building, Good Work, Vessel

  Joshua Slocum, Applewood Books (CRT) (2006). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.275, Applewood Books

  7 Copy quote

• ...as the day wore on I watched the birds all flying in one direction, and said, Land lies there.

  Joshua Slocum

  Lying, One Direction, Land

  Joshua Slocum (2009). “The Annotated Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.29, Sheridan House, Inc.

  19 Copy quote

• On this day there was soon wind enough and to spare. The same might have been said of the sea. The Spray was in the midst of the turbulent Gulf Stream itself. She was jumping like a porpoise over the uneasy waves

  Joshua Slocum

  Jumping, Wind, Sea

  Joshua Slocum (2015). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.176, Booklassic

  10 Copy quote

• My ship was also in better condition than when she sailed from Boston on her long voyage. She was still as sound as a nut, and as tight as the best ship afloat. She did not leak a drop - not one drop!

  Joshua Slocum

  Journey, Boston, Nuts

  Joshua Slocum, Applewood Books (CRT) (2006). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.278, Applewood Books

  11 Copy quote

• If the Spray discovered no continents on her voyage, it may be that there were no more continents to be discovered. She did not seek new worlds, or sail to pow-wow about the dangers of the sea.

  Joshua Slocum

  Inspirational, Funny, Journey

  Joshua Slocum (1985). “The Voyages of Joshua Slocum”, p.372, Sheridan House, Inc.

  14 Copy quote

• Was the crew well? Was I not? I had profited in many ways by the voyage. I had even gained flesh, and actually weighed a pound more than when I sailed from Boston.

  Joshua Slocum

  Journey, Boston, Flesh

  Joshua Slocum (1985). “The Voyages of Joshua Slocum”, p.372, Sheridan House, Inc.

  12 Copy quote

• Nothing escapes the vigilance of the New South Wales police; their reputation is known the world over.

  Joshua Slocum

  Police, World, Reputation

  Joshua Slocum, Applewood Books (CRT) (2006). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.168, Applewood Books

  7 Copy quote

• Captain Fisher, the commander, with a party of young ladies from the city and gentlemen belonging to his ship, came one day to pay me a visit in the midst of a deluge of rain.

  Joshua Slocum

  Party, Rain, Cities

  Joshua Slocum (2005). “Sailing Alone around the World”, p.95, Shambhala Publications

  8 Copy quote

• And now, without having wearied my friends, I hope, with detailed scientific accounts, theories, or deductions, I will only say that I have endeavoured to tell just the story of the adventure itself.

  Joshua Slocum

  Travel, Adventure, Stories

  Joshua Slocum (2007). “Sailing Alone: Around the World”, p.188, ReadHowYouWant.com

  7 Copy quote

• They made a shrewd guess that I could give them some useful information, and they were the first to meet me. Some one said they came to arrest me, and - well, let it go at that.

  Joshua Slocum

  Giving, Let It Go, Information

  Joshua Slocum, Applewood Books (CRT) (2006). “Sailing Alone Around the World”, p.168, Applewood Books

  4 Copy quote

• Anyhow, a philosophical turn of thought now was not amiss, else one's patience would have given out almost at the harbour entrance. The term of her probation was eight days.

  Joshua Slocum

  Patience, Philosophical, Eight

  Joshua Slocum (2007). “Sailing Alone: Around the World”, p.184, ReadHowYouWant.com

  20 Copy quote

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