By the 1700s, there was a kind of man who looked at the world differently — who fled the safety and constraints of civilization for another kind of existence. That’s right, we’re talking about sailors. According to what records exist, it was the men on Captain James Cook’s crew who first chose to get tattoos as mementos of their journey to the great tattoo cultures of Japan, China and the Pacific Islands. And that’s pretty much how it stayed for the next 200 years or so.

So what is so good about the ocean, then? The very act of sailing is something which brings a sense of pride to the sailor and the joy involved in such a pursuit. Being out on the salt water, miles and miles from land, the coastline a thin streak on the horizon, the wind in your hair and the salt at your back, the glare off the surface and hawking of sea birds - it broadens your horizons. Literally. With sailing you are always learning! Learning about yourself, about the sea, about the elements that surround you. Sailing allows you to manage and move your own vessel, taking yourself to new locations around the world. What could be better than that? It also has connotations of travel, of being a true global citizen. And the fashion is pretty cool!