Have you noticed how many metaphors we use in everyday communication are inspired from the world of cruising and, more broadly, sea navigation? We say things like ‘cruise control’, ‘smooth sailing’, and ‘all hands on deck’ like it’s second nature, even if we rarely step foot on an actual ship.
It’s not accidental; after all, boats were one of the first transportation systems that allowed people to travel far beyond their homelands, exploring other worlds. Using these metaphors is, therefore, reminiscent of our innate spirit of exploration, adventure and team collaboration.
I thought it would be fun to collect some of these navigation (and, by extension, cruise-inspired) metaphors.

Cruise Control

Cruise control is a car feature that maintains a steady, predetermined speed—autopilot for the highway. This is a fun one. Who came up with it first though? I thought the car industry borrowwed the term this from sailing, but actually, modern cruise control was invented in 1948 by the blind inventor and mechanical engineer Ralph Teetor. He came up with the idea due to being frustrated by his driver’s habit of speeding up and slowing down as he talked. Another driving factor was the 35 mph (56 km/h) speed limit imposed in the United States during World War II to reduce gasoline use and tire wear.
What an interesting choice of word - calling it cruise control, not speed control. A more poetic one indeed.

All Hands on Deck

Hearing this one triggers memories of bad things happening at work, when everyone available must get involved to fix a pressing issue.
In cruising world, it means exactly the same thing: when crisis strikes or a particularly demanding task needs doing, the captain calls for all crew members—regardless of rank or usual duties—to come up on deck and help.
There’s something inspiring and egalitarian about this phrase. In moments of need, hierarchy becomes secondary. Everyone pulls together. It reminds us that sometimes the best outcomes come from collective effort rather than siloed expertise. Still, it’s something that ideally shouldn’t be happening on a frequent basis.

Smooth Sailing

Smooth sailing means things are going well—progress is easy and without obstacles. When wind conditions are favorable and the sea is calm, a ship can make excellent progress with minimal effort.
We all crave those periods when things just… work, and we feel ‘in the flow’. There is another similar but subtly different concept - ‘clear sailing’. This one is about the view ahead rather than current conditions, with no rocks, reefs, or hazards visible. It’s more about safety.
I find some people cheekily overuse this phrase to express exaggerated confidence about something being very easy. “This task will be smooth sailing from now on’. Naturally, it is not always the case. In life, work, as well as sailing, aware people know that conditions can change quickly and you must be able to adapt.

Taking the Wind Out of Someone’s Sails

This means to deflate someone’s confidence or enthusiasm; to undermine someone’s moment. It also reminds me of the saying ‘steal my thunder’, defined as ‘doing what someone else was going to do before they do it, especially if this takes success or praise away from them’. Example: sharing about a successful project you just finished at work just before a colleague of yours was planning to announce the new deal they signed with a major customer.
When another ship positions itself between your vessel and the wind, it literally steals the wind from your sails, causing you to lose speed and momentum. It’s a strategic maneuver in naval warfare and racing. It captures that deflating feeling when criticism or circumstances suddenly stop your progress.

Batten Down the Hatches

It means to prepare for difficulty; get ready for trouble ahead.
Battens were strips of wood used to secure tarpaulins over a ship’s hatchways during storms, preventing water from flooding below decks. The deeper meaning of this resonates because there’s wisdom in preparing for storms before they arrive. The phrase reminds us that sometimes the best action is preventative—securing what matters before chaos arrives. Every cruiser knows this feeling when the captain announces rough seas ahead. And when you inevitably see the ‘sick bags’ appear in the hallways.
I personally don’t use this phrase, probably because I find it harder to pronounce, very ‘consonant-heavy English as a second language’ kind of challenge.

Dead in the Water

Aka completely stuck; unable to make progress; a project or plan that has failed. A ship without wind in its sails or mechanical power is “dead in the water”—it cannot move forward and simply drifts with the current. It’s vulnerable and going nowhere.
That feeling of total stagnation resonates deeply. When momentum completely disappears and you’re just… stuck. The phrase captures both the frustration and the vulnerability of that state.
Thinking about this now, the phrase ‘go with the flow’ is the next that comes to mind, which can mean both surrendering yourself to a potentially negative situation, but also opening yourself up for the possibility of unexpected joy and success.

Learning the Ropes

This mean learning how to do a new job; getting oriented in a new situation. I have certainly had this used in relation to me when I’ve been the new employee at a company. “Please welcome Dorina. She’s still learning the ropes but will be up and running in no time”.
Sailing ships have an impressive amount of complex system of ropes, each with specific purposes. New sailors literally had to learn which rope did what—essential knowledge for survival and function aboard ship.
The learning curve metaphor is perfect and again, very poetic. Like the original sailors, we all face that initial period of overwhelming complexity before the system starts making sense. And just like on a ship, learning takes both time and practice.
Variations of this phrase include ‘knowing the ropes’, and ‘showing the ropes’, to denote someone who is already familiar with how the systems work, and willing to mentor you about it.

By and Large

What it means: Generally speaking; for the most part; in general terms.
I had no idea this on was inspired from navigation and sailing. In nautical terms, “by” and “large” referred to different points of sail—“by” meant sailing close to the wind, while “large” meant sailing with the wind behind. A ship that could sail well “by and large” could handle different conditions.
The phrase has evolved to capture looking at something comprehensively, from different angles. It’s about the big picture rather than specific details, and evaluating things holistically.

Final Thoughts

What fascinates me most about these metaphors is their universal resonance even for those who never set foot on a sailing vessel. They work because the fundamental experiences they describe—momentum and stagnation, preparation and crisis, learning and mastery, balance and instability—are universal. These phrases remind us that humans have been navigating uncertainty for as long as we’ve been taking to the seas. And sometimes, the best approach is to set your cruise control at a comfortable pace, trust the ship knows where it’s going, and enjoy the journey as it unfolds.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𓇼 ࣪ 𓈒ㅤׂㅤ⭒ 𓆡 ⭒ㅤ𓈒ㅤׂ 🫧