Captain Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old captain quotes, captain sayings, and captain proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

One of the advantages of being Captain is being able to ask for advice without necessarily having to take it. James T. Kirk
A good director has to be a captain - he has to work with a lot of people every day. Melanie Laurent
You are like a captain navigating a ship... You must give the right orders, thoughts and images to your subconscious which controls and governs all your experiences. Joseph Murphy
If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever. St. Thomas Aquinas
It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll; I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. William Ernest Henley
We are the captains of our own ships sailing the sea of life, but in times of a stormy weather, you will discover true friends when they don't hesitate to be a lighthouse. Dodinsky
I prefer to sail in a bad ship with a good captain rather than sail in good ship with a bad captain. Mehmet Murat ildan
A frightened captain makes a frightened crew. Lister Sinclair
There can be only one Captain to a ship. Thomas John Barnardo
You are the captain of your own ship; don't let anyone else take the wheel. Michael Josephson
I am the captain of my destiny, I do not abandon the ship in hard times. But, I do have sense enough not to go down with the ship. Cesare Pavese
Our great captain's captain. William Shakespeare
A man without religion or spiritual vision is like a captain who finds himself in the midst of an uncharted sea, without compass, rudder and steering wheel. He never knows where he is, which way he is going and where he is going to land. William J. H. Boetcker
A brave captain is as a root, out of which, as branches, the courage of his soldiers doth spring. Philip Sidney
Be the captain of your ship. Breathe and be grateful. Michael Lomenda
Part of being a captain is knowing when to smile, make the troops happy even when it's the last thing in the world you want to do. Because they're your troops and you have to take care of them. Captain Sisko
In calm water, every ship has a good captain. Grover Cleveland
The captain of a ship is not chosen from those of the passengers who comes from the best family. Blaise Pascal
When the storm brews and the waves swell, only an experienced captain can control the ship and save it. Mata Amritanandamayi
The captain of a ship can run a great ship, but he can't do anything about the tides. Matthew Norman
A man may own a ship, but unless he is captain of a crew he goes where the ship goes. Josephine Tey
The hallmark of a great captain is the ability to win the toss, at the right time. Richie Benaud
A captain who does not know where he wants to sail, there is no wind on Earth that will bring him there. Ami Ayalon
No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy. Horatio Nelson
With a good captain, a rough ocean turns into a calm lake; with a bad captain, a calm lake turns into a rough ocean! Mehmet Murat ildan
A ship at sea is its own world. To be the captain of a ship is to be the unquestioned ruler of that world and requires all of the leadership skills of a prince or minister. Col. Corazon Santiago
I am the captain of my soul. Nelson Mandela
When you are captain, you are never speaking for yourself. Brian O'Driscoll
A good captain is not made from calm seas. Proverb
You are the captain of your ship that never comes in. Daniel Lee
In case signals cannot be seen or clearly understood, no captain can do wrong if he places his ship alongside that of an enemy. Robert Southey
O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done, / The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won. / O Captain! My Captain! Exult O shores, and ring O bells! But I with mournful tread / Walk the deck my Captain lies, / Fallen cold and dead. / O captain! My Captain! Walt Whitman
When the opposing captain is down, you need to keep your foot on him. Graeme Smith
What is a captain supposed to do— go out on the field before the game and decide whether to kick or receive? Graig Nettles
A storyteller is like a ship's captain. He takes the passengers places where they might laugh or cry, but they always safe. Michael Parent
Monarchy is like a sleek craft, it sails along well until some bumbling captain runs it into the rocks. Fisher Ames
He is one of those people with an aura about him— you could just feel him. I think he's one of those great figures we see running through history; he's definitely got the gift of leadership. Tony Fitzpatrick
The ship's company will remember that I am your captain, your judge, and your jury. You do your duty, and we may get along. Whatever happens you do your duty. Charles Laughton
Here, if you don't want to be a director, it's like a captain who doesn't want to be a major. Josh Greenfield
Great honor is due to those officers who remain true despite the example of their treacherous associates; but the greatest honor and most important fact of all is the unanimous firmness of the common soldiers and common sailors. Abraham Lincoln
I was a sidelines child : never class president, never team captain, never the one with the most valentines in my box. Lois Lowry
My fate cannot be mastered; it can only be collaborated with and thereby, to some extent, directed. Nor am I the captain of my soul; I am only its noisiest passenger. Aldous Huxley
The day you hear someone call me captain will be the day I buy a boat. Guy Lafleur
I'm not driven by killer ambition. I'm not a workaholic. I'm a good team player. I don't have to ba captain, but I do want to play on a winning team. Jane Pauley
When I lost my rifle, the Army charged me 85 dollars. That is why in the navy the captain goes down with the ship. Dick Gregory
A sailor is an artist whose medium is the wind. Webb Chiles
To delight in war is a merit in the soldier, a dangerous quality in the captain and a positive crime in the statesman. George Santayana
It is in following Christ as our captain that we can win in our personal lives, families, churches, and communities. Tony Evans
There is so much to sailing a ship. There's about a thousand different lines on a brig ship, and knowing what each one of those does, it takes a long time, and that's why you have these cabin boys that start on the ship, and they learn throughout the years, and that's why it takes so long to captain one. Tom Holland
Life without God is like an aircraft without a Captain. Anytime, it is bound to crash. Gift Gugu Mona
Every leader is a boss but every boss is not a leader. Amit Kalantri
When the world asks you to walk, don't listen, just sit! When the world asks you to sit, don't listen, just walk! The captain of your own ship is you, not the world! Mehmet Murat Ildan
Never trust the captain who has never taken any education from the School of Storms! Mehmet Murat Ildan
It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures a prosperous voyage. George William Curtis
The seas may be rough , but I am the Captain! No matter how difficult, I will always prevail. Captain Jack Sparrow
Any damn fool can navigate the world sober. It takes a really good sailor to do it drunk. Sir Francis Chichester
The captain is supposed to go down with the ship unless the first mate knocks him out and throws him in a lifeboat. Neal Shusterman