25 Amazing Ship Tattoo Designs With Meanings

Ship tattoos are a great choice for those who love to travel or who have been on many trips. They can also be a fitting symbol if you own a boat or sail often. Ship tattoos can be drawn in a variety of styles including realistic, cartoonish and abstract.

A ship tattoo represents a journey, a voyage and the journey of life itself. It can also represent freedom and travel. The design can vary from simple to intricate, depending on how much detail you want in your ship tattoo. The most common types of ship tattoos include pirate ships, sailboats, war ships and submarines.

In more recent times, sailors have chosen to get ship tattoos with more elaborate designs than just an anchor and crown. These days you can find all kinds of different ship tattoos that will suit your personality or lifestyle perfectly. Here are some ideas to help you choose what kind of ship tattoo would look best on your body:

1. Clipper Ship Tattoo

Clipper ship tattoos can be done in many different ways, but they often feature an old sailing ship with two or more masts flying a full or furled sail plan. The ship may be in motion or stationary. Some people choose to include an image of a sailor on board the ship as well, while others prefer a simpler design that only features the vessel itself.

2. Ghost Ship Tattoo

Ghost ship tattoos are commonly associated with pirates and other seafaring folk who tell tales of ships appearing out at sea with no crew on board and then disappearing again just as quickly as they arrived. While there are several theories as to why these ships have been spotted over the years, there has never been any documented evidence found that would prove such sightings actually exist outside of folklore and legend.

3. Half Sleeve Ship Tattoo

Another popular option is a half sleeve or full sleeve tattoo of an entire sailing ship complete with sails, rigging and crew members. These designs give you more options when it comes to choosing what kind of boat you want your ink to represent and how you want it to look. You may even decide that you want your entire arm covered in a ship tattoo!

4. Kraken Ship Tattoo

The Kraken ship tattoo is one of the most popular ship tattoos out there. This type of tattoo is usually done by getting a large kraken head on your arm, with tentacles reaching down to your wrist. Some people will have multiple arms coming from the same kraken head in order to create a unique effect.

5. Pirate Ship Tattoo

If you love pirates then you may want to consider getting a pirate ship tattoo instead of just any old kind of ship tattoo. Most pirate ships are done with a skull and crossbones flag flying from the top masthead and cannons mounted along both sides of the hulls so that they can fire at enemies as needed.

6. Rocket Ship Tattoo

Rocket ship tattoos are commonly used by those who wish to represent their dream for space travel or their love for outer space and exploration. Rocket tattoos can be done in many different styles and colors but they usually include designs such as planets, stars or galaxies; all of which are associated with space and the unknown universe beyond our solar system.

7. Ship And Octapus Tattoo

A ship and octopus tattoo is another popular design that represents both freedom and adventure. Octopi are often depicted as being quite intelligent creatures who have very good memories; so they make perfect companions for those who are always on the move as they never forget where they’ve been before!

8. Ship And Rose Tattoo

The ship and rose tattoo is one of the most popular tattoo designs. It can be inked on any part of the body, but it is usually placed on the back or arm. The ship and rose is a symbol of love and romance, so is perfect for those who want to show their affection for someone special.

9. Ship And Skull Tattoo

The ship and skull design is an interesting tattoo concept that represents the relationship between death and life. The skull represents death, while the ship represents life. When these two elements are combined together, they create a powerful symbol that speaks about how even in the midst of death there is still hope for new beginnings and new chances at life.

10. Ship And Space Tattoo

A ship is a large vessel for transporting goods and people across a body of water. A space ship is a spacecraft that travels through outer space. These two themes have been combined in the form of tattoos which depict ships or spaceships with a nautical theme. The tattoo artists who create these designs combine elements from both themes to create unique designs which are both eye-catching and thought provoking.

11. Ship Ankle Tattoo

The ankle is a great place for a ship tattoo because it’s hidden from view most of the time. If you’re getting a ship tattoo on your ankle, make sure it’s something that really matters to you and fits with your personality. An anchor is another good option for an ankle tattoo because it’s small enough that it won’t take up too much space on this part of your body.

12. Ship Back Tattoo

If you want to get a large ship tattoo but don’t want it on the front of your body, consider getting one on your back instead. This is another area where you can get creative with how big or small you want your design to be and what colors work best for your skin tone and style preferences.

13. Ship Bicep Tattoo

Ship Bicep Tattoos are one of the most popular tattoos for all sailors. The tattoo has a lot of different meanings depending on the style of ship, the location and size. Many people have this tattoo inked on their arm as it is easily concealed by clothing. You can choose to have your child’s name or initials on the ship as well.

14. Ship Compass Tattoo

The compass has been used by sailors for hundreds of years to help them navigate their ships safely across the seas and oceans. The compass tattoo has become very popular with military men and women who have served overseas and want to show their love for family back home or just their love for adventure!

15. Ship Forearm Tattoo

Ship forearm tattoos are a great way to showcase your love for the sea. A ship can be placed anywhere on the arm, but it is most commonly placed on the forearm. The ship will typically be shown sailing at sea with a breeze blowing through its sails. The ship may also have a crew of people on board, or it may simply be sailing under its own power.

16. Ship Hand Tattoo

A ship hand tattoo is a fun way to show off your love for the sea. This type of tattoo can be done in any color, but black and grey are most common. The design usually consists of a large ship with several smaller boats in tow behind it as they sail under full sail. The boats may also have people on board who are waving at those watching from shore.

17. Ship Leg Tattoo

The ship tattoo is a classic nautical tattoo that shows a small ship in the water. The ship leg tattoo is a large version of this same idea, but it takes up more space on the leg. These tattoos are often done in black and grey ink, but can be inked in color as well.

18. Ship Sleeve Tattoo

Sleeve tattoos are one of the most popular types of tattooing because they leave so much room for creativity. A sleeve tattoo can be done on any part of the body, including your arms, legs and back. Ship sleeve tattoos are no different. They are usually done in black and grey ink with some shading added in to give them depth and dimensionality.

19. Ship Tattoos For Women

Ship tattoos are a popular choice for women. They are a great way to show your love for the water, boats, or even just to get a tattoo that is unique and different. You can get a ship anywhere on your body but the most common places are on the lower back, shoulder blade, ankle or foot.

20. Ship Thigh Tattoo

When it comes to getting a ship thigh tattoo there are many different things you can do with this design idea. For example, if you want an anchor then you can have this symbol on one thigh while having a sailboat or other type of ship on the other thigh so that they look like they’re going in opposite directions which will make them stand out even more than they would if they were both going in the same direction.

21. Simple Ship Tattoo

These types of designs usually consist of just the outline of the ship along with some other details like sails or even a flag flying from one side. You don’t have to get too fancy with these types of tattoos because they look great on their own without having to add any extra touches to them.

22. Small Ship Tattoo

Small ship tattoos are just like simple ones except that they have smaller details than what would normally be found in larger designs like sails and flags that would take up more room on your body than necessary. These smaller designs also make it easier to fit them into.

23. Traditional Ship Tattoo

Ship tattoos are traditionally done in blackwork style with cross-hatching or dotwork patterns that fill in the entire vessel. The ships can be realistic or fantastical, but they usually include details like masts, sails and ropes that help give them a realistic look.

24. Viking Ship Tattoo

Viking ship tattoos are often done in traditional blackwork style with heavy cross-hatching to create shadows and depth on the boat’s hulls and sails. But some artists use watercolor paints to create more colorful designs that incorporate Viking runes into their artwork as well.

25. Watercolor Ship Tattoo

Watercolor ship tattoos are typically done with bright colors that are reminiscent of old world maps or sea charts from centuries past. These tattoos often feature detailed images of sailing vessels with sails unfurled as they set out into unknown waters or make port at their destination after a long journey across open seas.

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