Steady as she goes!

Do you remember these 10 brave fictional captains?

Ahoy, matey! There’s something so alluring about sailing into the open seas. We’ve all daydreamed about the freedom and excitement that only a life aboard a ship can offer. But that doesn’t mean this life comes without responsibilities—especially if you’re bestowed the great honor of being the captain of your ship. One must always be aware of the weather, the ship’s condition, and, above all, maintain the morale of the crew.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to pay homage to some of the most iconic fictional captains out there. These 10 commanders have, on numerous occasions, proved themselves and their leadership skills, often risking their lives to keep their crews safe. So, without further ado, here’s our pick!

Image: Austin Neill

There’s a reason why Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick is considered a jewel of American literature: it’s not only an exciting retelling of 19th-century sailing, but also a powerful exploration of mankind’s inherent—and ultimately futile—struggle against nature. In that sense, Captain Ahab embodies many of the traits that make a great captain: his sailing prowess and determination are unmatched. Unfortunately, Ahab becomes consumed by vengeance and madness in his desperate quest to hunt the mythical white whale, Moby-Dick.

Image: omid roshan

As we mentioned before, some of the traits that make a good captain are courage and a stern nature in the face of danger. That said, who’s to say they can’t also be a happy and jovial companion? Created by Belgian cartoonist Hergé, Captain Archibald Haddock is the trusted ally of amateur detective Tintin. While slightly bullheaded and hot-tempered, Haddock has proven time and again to be a wonderful friend and a brave adventurer.

Image: Flickr user Vasile Cotovanu (vasile23), CC BY 2.5

Created by cartoonist Hugo Pratt in the 1960s, Corto Maltese is a seafaring wanderer who travels the world in search of fortune, friendship, or adventure. Born the son of a fortune-teller and a British sailor, Corto was influenced by the magical arts from a young age. As an adult, his journeys often take him to mystical and lost continents like Atlantis or Mu.

Image: Nyana Stoica

Who is more trustworthy than a captain you can see every day at the breakfast table? The mascot of the eponymous cereal, Cap’n Crunch is a smiling, elderly naval captain who sports a spectacular mustache and an impeccable Revolutionary War–style maritime uniform. TV commercials depict him commanding the ship Guppy, transporting a cargo of Cap’n Crunch cereal across the world. Fun fact: his full name is Captain Horatio Magellan Crunch.

Image: Palle Knudsen

It was about time we came across the first pirate on our list—after all, what’s a good pirate ship without its captain? With that in mind, allow us to introduce one of the most terrifying fictional pirates out there: Peter Pan’s nemesis, the dreaded Captain Hook. Well, actually, one of his two nemeses—the other being the crocodile that ate his hand, forcing him to replace it with the metal hook that gave him his famous nickname.

Image: Stefan Cosma

One of the most groundbreaking aspects of the hit science-fiction show Star Trek was how it highlighted the similarities between space travel and seafaring: both involve traversing the great unknown and discovering new and exciting frontiers. In that sense, the original Star Trek series followed the voyages of the U.S.S. Enterprise, helmed by the daring and brave Captain James Tiberius Kirk. Portrayed by William Shatner, Captain Kirk’s daredevil instincts often proved to be what saved the Enterprise and its crew from certain doom.

Image: Thomas Haas

Jules Verne’s groundbreaking novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas introduced us to Captain Nemo, an intrepid adventurer who dared to take his pioneering ship, the Nautilus, where no captain had ever gone before: beneath the waves. Driven by his desire to conduct marine research and expand human knowledge, Captain Nemo leads the Nautilus into the unexplored depths of the ocean.

Image: Sergey Semin

As we mentioned before, any pirate worth their salt has to prove their skills as a seafaring captain. With that in mind, Captain Jack Sparrow has shown time and again why he is the stuff of legends. Portrayed by actor Johnny Depp in all Pirates of the Caribbean movies since 2001, Jack Sparrow has taken his trusted ship, the Black Pearl, to the edge of the world.

Image: Eugene Chystiakov

Han Solo is many things: a smuggler, a rebel fighter, and a charming rogue. However, above all, he is the captain of the iconic spaceship, the Millennium Falcon. Joined by his best friend and trusted first mate, Chewbacca, Han Solo has commanded the Millennium Falcon across the entire galaxy, hopping from adventure to adventure.

Image: Zoltan Tasi

We'll finish this article with a captain no sailor ever wants to meet. Davy Jones is the name given to the sailor's very own boogeyman, a sinister presence responsible for dragging ships to the depths of the ocean (colloquially known as "Davy Jones' Locker"). Commanding his ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman, Davy Jones sails the Seven Seas in search of the souls of damned sailors.

READY, SET, SAIL!

Rock The Boat With These 10 Everyday Expressions Of Nautical Origin

Image: Andrew Neel

Languages in general are perpetually evolving entities, and English is no exception. Ever-changing, over the years the English language has adopted words and phrases from other languages and even completely invented slang.

Many idioms, sayings, and figures of speech like "batten down the hatches" or "hunky-dory" that we still use in the 21st century, actually have a nautical origin, from the golden days of sailing. You may already be using many of them in your everyday conversations, not knowing the true meaning behind them. That's why we've put together a list of ten naval sayings and sailing phrases to let you know the history behind them. So hoist the mainsail and set course for discovery!

Image: Andreea Swank

There’s little chance you’ve never used this expression, by a long shot. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a long shot means "a venture involving great risk but promising a great reward if successful". It is an idiom we also use regularly to express "by a great deal".

Its origin can be traced back to early naval guns from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, whose accuracy left a lot to be desired. Apparently, these weapons were effective only at close range and weren’t very good for targets placed at great distances. So if a long shot managed to hit its target, it was considered out of the ordinary and something to celebrate.

Image: Torsten Dederichs

The literal meaning of this expression is "to fasten the entrances to the lower part of a ship using wooden boards". However, in our everyday conversations, we use it when we want to prepare ourselves or others for a difficult or dangerous situation.

The term batten was originated in the 18th century. It refers to an iron bar used to secure the covering of a hatchway on a ship when bad weather was expected. **The earliest record of the expression "**batten down the hatches" was found on Vocabulaire des Termes de Marine, a French-English dictionary of sailing terms published in 1799. The first example of a colloquial use of the phrase, similar to the one we have now, appears as recently as 1955, in an article published in the Bulletin of the General Contractors Association of New York.

Image: sharkolot

Name one TV crime series where the phrase "all hands on deck" has never been used. There probably isn’t a single one! Today we use this figure of speech in an informal way to call for everyone available to get involved in a group task or an urgent situation. However, a long time ago it had a more straightforward meaning. In times of pirates, captains would urge their crew to help whenever a storm was coming or if enemies were attacking the ship. It literally meant "All available sailors come to the deck". Over the years, as the English language evolved, it just became the expression we use when we need as much help as we can get.

Image: bernswaelz

We all have at least one family member or friend who is uncontrollable and unpredictable. In our everyday vocabulary, we usually call this type of person a "loose cannon", although perhaps we’ve never stopped to think about what it really means or where it comes from.

The origin of this metaphoric expression can be sourced from the cannons that used to be mounted on the decks of warships in the early 1900s. During combat or a storm, these big and heavy weapons sometimes got dislodged, causing serious damage to the vessel and its crew. We can say that something similar happens when people with erratic behavior are around.

Image: Alex Knight

The origin of this cute little slang phrase meaning "quite satisfactory, fine" is a bit obscure. There are a few theories that explain where "hunky-dory" was first coined, but our favorite has nautical connotations. Legend has it, the expression comes from "Honcho dori", a term that means something like "main street" in Japanese, where lonely American sailors allegedly went for all sorts of diversions and services in the 1860s.

This Japanese influence was first suggested by American historian and linguist John Russell Bartlett in the 4th edition of the Dictionary of Americanisms of 1877. His theory, although picturesque and with some historical merit, can’t be 100% proven. But for the moment let’s just say: it’s all hunky-dory!

Image: Ksenia Makagonova

Yes, the word ship has given us away. As you can imagine, this commonly used expression has a clear naval origin. The term can be traced back to when ships were made out of wood and needed to be properly sealed to prevent any leaks. Captains used to supervise this operation and apparently were very rigorous about it.

In its more metaphorical sense, it alludes to a ship in which the ropes are taut, meaning it is strictly managed. In a tight ship the crew and officers work well together, that is to say, the phrase has a very similar meaning to the one we give it today. In informal and colloquial situations we now use it to refer to an institution or business that is highly organized and running efficiently.

Image: Annie Spratt

Once upon a time, when battles were fought in faraway seas, ships would heave their national flag before a battle. However, some captains were known to be swindlers. To have an advantage over their enemies, they would carry flags of other countries in order to confuse them on the high seas. This practice was especially common in the 17th century among Spanish sailors and it was referred to as bamboozle (sounds familiar?).

Nowadays, we use this expression to describe a dishonest person who eventually reveals who he or she really is. It would be great if some people came with flags, don’t you think?

Image: Tanner Mardis

Starting at a new job can feel overwhelming until you finally learn the ropes. That’s probably how rookie sailors felt like in times before steam or fossil fuel ships. A long time ago, when almost all ships had sails, new recruits had to learn how to manipulate ropes and tie knots. The nautical origin of the expression, therefore, is very clear.

It is true that ropes are rarely used in modern jobs, but the phrase has survived for centuries and we still use it today to refer to the special way things are done in a particular activity. So now that you know, you’ll never be able to teach someone to do something again without thinking of a poor young sailor handling ropes out in the cold sea.

Image: Jason Schuller

Not surprisingly, the origin of the idiom "sink or swim" is nautical. Today, we use it to mean that a specific situation will fail or succeed. The source of this expression, however, is purely literal and a bit bleak. In Medieval times, suspected witches were thrown into deep waters to prove their condition. If the victim sank, she would die, but if she managed to swim, she was considered evil and therefore executed.

The first written example of the idiom, as we use it today, can be found in Shakespeare’s play Henry IV: "If he fall in, goodnight! Or sink or swim!".

Image: Benoît Deschasaux

In the 17th century, sailors would rub empty barrels used to store food to recover any remaining scraps and not waste anything. These leftovers were presumably of inferior quality, giving the expression the negative connotation it has today. This metaphorical usage, to be forced to use one’s last and weakest resource, might have originated in the US in the 1930s, but it certainly never gets old.

We’ve reached the end of this ranking but that doesn’t mean we are scraping the barrel! There are a lot more idioms and figures of speech of nautical origin that you can explore. Can you think of any other examples? Now that you have a snapshot of what nautical expressions look like, you won't stop finding them!