The History of Traditional Sailing Tattoos

[fireman182]

I'm Im just doing some research on traditional sailing tattoos. Looking at the origins and the meaning behind them. It seems they've been around for hundreds of years yet information is very limited about their humble beginnings.

I've found a few articles online but nothing too interesting or in depth.

Does anyone here have a good source? Book ? or website about this history of this long (somewhat) lost tradition?

You guys have any nautical tattoos?

[sailingabe41ds]

I have a swallow on my deltoid. Sailors would often get a swallow tattoo after travelling 5000 miles...two swallows for 10,000 miles. It is symbolic since the swallow being a small migrating bird flying thousands of miles it would always find its way home.
I only have one tattoo because years ago there was study done that there was an inverse correlation between intelligence and number of tattoos. I did not want to take any chances.
Abe

[Lepke]

Originally Posted by sailingabe41ds

There was study done that there was an inverse correlation between intelligence and number of tattoos.
Abe

When I was in the USN in the 60s, one of the older crew had a number of tattoos. His 2nd most famous was a barber pole on his Johnson. His most famous was a fly on the top of the pole. The tattoos wouldn't have become famous except for getting the tattoos in a foreign port. Getting tattoos in a foreign port was forbidden because of health concerns. The shore patrol turned him in and he ended up at captain's mast with his pants around his knees.

And no, I don't have tattoos.

[Eder]

Tattoos are very popular again in the Marquesas. Many arriving in Hiva Oa got traditional whatever incorporating a turtle to show they have sailed across the equator.


I couldn't afford the lost IQ so instead spent my money on Hinanos and spent my time convincing the cruisers that a Marquesas tattoo with a turtle means you are Fa'afafine

[fireman182]

Originally Posted by Lepke

When I was in the USN in the 60s, one of the older crew had a number of tattoos. His 2nd most famous was a barber pole on his Johnson. His most famous was a fly on the top of the pole. The tattoos wouldn't have become famous except for getting the tattoos in a foreign port. Getting tattoos in a foreign port was forbidden because of health concerns. The shore patrol turned him in and he ended up at captain's mast with his pants around his knees.

And no, I don't have tattoos.

Wow. Impressive.

I love a good sailor story like that. Regret nothing lol

I would hope that alcohol of some sort help guide his choice in tattoos.

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by Lepke

When I was in the USN in the 60s, one of the older crew had a number of tattoos. His 2nd most famous was a barber pole on his Johnson. His most famous was a fly on the top of the pole. The tattoos wouldn't have become famous except for getting the tattoos in a foreign port. Getting tattoos in a foreign port was forbidden because of health concerns. The shore patrol turned him in and he ended up at captain's mast with his pants around his knees.

And no, I don't have tattoos.

That’s when you’d really want a sober tattooist or a pecker spell checker.

[Jamesiv1]

Google Search yields a pretty good list:

https://www.google.com/search?q=hist...hrome&ie=UTF-8

[fireman182]

Originally Posted by Jamesiv1

Google Search yields a pretty good list:

https://www.google.com/search?q=hist...hrome&ie=UTF-8

Ah the google search answer! Why didn't I think of that? lol

I've read all those. I'm actually looking for more substantial sources and more in depth history dating back to the Age of Sail (1571–1862) tattoos.

[Jamesiv1]

Originally Posted by fireman182

Ah the google search answer! Why didn't I think of that? lol

I've read all those. I'm actually looking for more substantial sources and more in depth history dating back to the Age of Sail (1571–1862) tattoos.

Wikipedia is a great resource for researching non-controversial topics:

I suggest you start here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor_tattoos

Scroll to the bottom and see the "See Also" section, and especially look at the end of the article for the sources. Sounds like that source material is what you want.

[Cadence]

I would bet it was the result of ships visiting ports where the indigenous people had tats.

[MV Caroline]

Years ago, I had a friend who had been in the Coast Guard for three tours. He had a three bladed prop tattooed one each buttocks and just below the waist line he had tattooed "40 knots and no smoke".
Best tattoo ever!

[psk125]

I sailed with a WWII Destroyer Commander who had a tattoo of a rooster on his left foot. He insisted that this ensured that he would never die by drowning. He knew this, he said, because the tattooer had guaranteed him his money back if it didn't work.

[gbmacca]

hi
Years ago, I was told that sailors had tattoos so in the case of drowning, they could be identified.
Like in Scotland, Ireland and parts of Cornwall, each family had an individual pattern which was cable woven by mothers, wives or loved ones, into jumpers/sweaters, so in the case of drowning, that person could be identified.
Gbmacca

[Sailing4Jesus]

Shipmates,
I served thirty years in the United States Navy. In 1973 while building a New Submarine Base in La Maddalena, Sardinia, I had a First Class Machinist Mate named Swoop working for me who had a tattoo of a Commode on his arm, Curious, I asked him why in Sam's Hill he had that unusual tattoo. He replied that it was in Hong Kong several years earlier that he and a Shipmate were both skunk-drunk on the streets of Hong Kong when his mate says he wanted to get a tattoo. Swoop said that all he wanted was to PEE. Staggering into a Tattoo Parlor about to pee his bell-bottoms, he sat down in a chair not realizing he had sat down in a chair used for getting a Tattoo. When a skinny Chinaman asked him, "What you likee", he replied that he wanted to Pee, but the Chinaman did not understand him, so he shouted out that he wanted a COMMODE, and then passed out. Well, you all can guess what he saw when he woke up.

[El Pinguino]

A mate of mine was on holiday in Jamaica... took himself down to the nudist beach to catch a few rays....
Notices a local with a tatoo on his willy.....
Sez to the local 'That's interesting.... you have Wendy tatooed on your willy...that's my wife's name'.
Sez the local ' No Mon, that doesn't say Wendy... it says 'Welcome to Jamaica , have a nice day'....
True story...honest....