The ship is an image that is well known in tattooing. From Sailor Jerry to new school tattoos, the ship makes its way to all body parts in all styles of tattooing. The ship tattoo has a great deal of meaning and is an important image for those who have struggled. We will talk more about that in this post. We will also talk about some different variations of the ship tattoo and what it means to the person that has this image. By the end of the post, we hope you have a better understanding of the ship tattoo and what it symbolizes.

Ship Tattoo Meaning

A symbol of the aquatic and nautical, the ship can mean many things. Most literally, it conveys life away from the land, living on the undulation of the ocean waves and air. The ship is the vessel of the sea-farer and can serve as a literal representation of a sailor or act as a metaphor. The image of a ship is the image of a place away from the daily grind and away from the pressure of society. The ship can be a symbol for the individual while the ocean surrounding it is a force that holds them back. Regardless of the type of ship, as a symbol it serves as a means of escape and freedom from life on the land in favor of the vast blue waters. The ship carries the air of adventure and exploration and reveals the soul of a voyager.

In some tattoo designs, the image of a ship can convey isolation, either intentional or unintentional, for many reasons. As a single vessel on the water, contact can be far and few between, leading to a solitary lifestyle. However, the ship often carries a crew of sailors, so while there may be only a solitary ship, within it can be an entire fleet of people. In this way, the ship can be a metaphor for the seemingly unapproachable individual who may carry a motley of desirable qualities, revealing their complicated personality. The ship can also be an appropriate group, friend’s, or couple’s tattoo, indicating the reliance on others that allows the ship to sail smoothly.