Nautical tattoo ideas

139 photos and flash · 40% Traditional, 21% Fine line · Forearm most common

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Traditional flash drawing of two compass roses with blackletter N, E, S and W labels, one in orange and red and one in teal and blue, on a tan background.
Two compass rose flash designs
Drawing of a vintage engraved anchor wrapped in rope and set with coral roses and teal foliage, shown as a tattoo design on a plain light background.
Anchor with roses design
Two matching forearm tattoos in black ink: a ship's wheel with the words 'be the one to guide me' and an anchor with 'but never let me down'.
Ship's wheel and anchor with matching quote tattoos
Black and grey compass rose tattoo design with shaded points and N, E, S and W labels, drawn on a tan sheet with 3 inch dimension lines.
Compass rose design on a 3 inch stencil sheet
Black ink finger tattoos on two fists in a simple traditional style, showing a flower, a ship, a ship's wheel, a palm tree and crossed arrows.
Small nautical finger tattoos on two hands
Fine line black seahorse, ship's wheel and star tattoos on the fingers of a hand, with a small anchor-like mark on the ring finger.
Small nautical finger tattoos on a hand
Black and grey neo-traditional key tattoo with red shading on the bow, crossing a rope-framed compass rose on the forearm.
Key and compass rose on a forearm
Black and grey traditional anchor tattoo with a coiled rope wrapped around the shank, shown on the upper arm.
Anchor and rope on upper arm
Black line drawing of a distressed compass rose with N, E, S and W letters, shown as a tattoo design on a plain white background.
Compass rose design in black ink
Two small black fine line tattoos, a ship's wheel on one ankle and an anchor on the other, photographed in sunlight on a red wooden deck.
Ship's wheel and anchor ankle tattoos
Black and grey engraved-style drawing of a vintage anchor wrapped in rope, with the script words Refuse to sink beneath it on a white background.
Anchor with rope and Refuse to sink script
Two wrists side by side, each with a small dark blue-black compass rose tattoo with a dotwork centre, placed on the inner wrist.
Matching compass tattoos on two wrists
Black and grey fine line tattoo of a minimal anchor with a ring at the top, on the forearm.
Fine line anchor on a forearm
Small fine line anchor tattoo in dark brown ink on the upper chest near the collarbone, worn by a woman in an off-shoulder striped top.
Small anchor tattoo on the upper chest
Black and grey tattoo of an anchor wrapped in rope with a ship's wheel in the centre, on the forearm of a man in a white t-shirt.
Anchor, rope and ship's wheel on a forearm
White line drawing of an anchor with a twisted rope tied in a bow at the top of the shank, on a plain black background.
Anchor with rope bow design
Solid black silhouette of an anchor with a rope wrapped around its shaft and arms, shown as a tattoo design on a white background.
Anchor with coiled rope design
Small black fine line tattoo of a sailboat on waves, placed on the inner wrist of a hand raised in front of a nautical chart.
Tiny sailboat tattoo on the wrist
Black and grey traditional-style tattoo of a lighthouse, ship's wheel and waves on the upper thigh, with a partly visible banner quote.
Lighthouse and ship's wheel on thigh
Pen drawing of a traditional-style anchor wrapped in rope, with a seagull, a ribbon banner reading family and blue water, shown as a design with no body placement.
Anchor and rope design with family banner
Black line drawing of an anchor built from angular facets in a geometric, origami-like style, shown as a tattoo design on a white background.
Geometric faceted anchor design
Black and white photo of two feet in black shoes, with a black outline anchor wrapped in rope on the left foot and a ship's wheel with rope on the right foot.
Anchor and ship's wheel tattoos on two feet
Black and white photo of a fine-line anchor tattoo with a circular ring, running down the inside of a forearm.
Thin-line anchor on a forearm
Two small black fine line tattoos, a ship's wheel on one ankle and an anchor on the other, shown with blue canvas sneakers on a sofa.
Ship's wheel and anchor on both ankles
Black ink drawing of a compass rose with N, E, S and W letters above an anchor, shown on a plain white background as a flash design.
Compass rose and anchor design
Full arm sleeve in traditional style with a sailing ship, shark, swallow, pin-up and roses scattered with small stars, shown in three photographs on the upper arm and forearm.
Traditional nautical full arm sleeve
Dark grey compass rose design with N, E, S and W lettering on a plain white background, shown as a flash sheet detail.
Compass rose flash design
Grey outlined anchor tattoo with swirling scrollwork and a pale blue curved section at the top, sitting on the upper back near the shoulder blade.
Anchor with swirls on the upper back
Black compass rose design with N, E, S and W points on a plain white background, drawn in bold, symmetrical linework.
Compass rose design
Small black anchor tattoo in fine line style on the inner wrist, with a dark top in the background.
Small anchor tattoo on the inner wrist
Colour traditional-style tattoo of a grey seagull perched on a rope-wrapped anchor, with the words fall out boy in black script below, on a forearm.
Seagull perched on an anchor with script
Black ink finger tattoos on a clenched fist showing a flower, a sailing ship, a ship's wheel, a palm tree and crossed arrows, in a traditional nautical style.
Nautical finger tattoos on a fist
Traditional flash drawing of a sailing ship inside a rope-edged star with an anchor behind it, shown on a stained paper background.
Nautical star with anchor and sailing ship
Two bare feet with a teal and black traditional anchor tattoo wrapped in rope on the left foot and a teal compass rose on the right foot.
Anchor and compass rose tattoos on both feet
Small black fine line anchor tattoo on the inside of a person's ankle, photographed in black and white with white trainers.
Small anchor tattoo on an ankle
Small black compass rose tattoo with N, E, S and W markings on a woman's upper back near the shoulder blade, with a waterfall behind her.
Small compass rose on a shoulder blade
Brown line drawing of a compass rose with N, E, S and W letters and a fleur-de-lis at the north point, on a textured paper background.
Compass rose design
Small black and grey anchor tattoo on the side of a person's ankle, shown in a black and white photograph.
Small anchor tattoo on an ankle
Small black anchor tattoo on the nape of a neck, shown in two photographs with dark hair falling around it.
Small anchor tattoo on the nape of the neck
Small compass rose tattoo on the inner wrist, with a bold black outline, red and yellow accents and a dark star-shaped centre.
Compass rose on the inner wrist
Black line drawing of a compass rose with a fleur-de-lis at north and dashed bearing lines, shown as a design sketch with no body visible.
Compass rose with fleur-de-lis design
Black and grey fine line tattoo of an anchor with a small circle at the top and a leaf shape on the shank, on the inner forearm.
Fine line anchor on the forearm
Two black ink calf tattoos on a beach: a ship's wheel on a man's left leg and an anchor on a woman's right leg, each with script wording above and below.
Ship's wheel and anchor calf tattoos
Black and grey traditional compass rose with a rope-wrapped anchor on a shoulder and upper arm, with a small blue accent in the compass centre.
Compass and anchor on shoulder and upper arm
Pen and ink flash drawing of an anchor with a ship's wheel across its shank, shaded with hatching and stippling on dotted paper.
Anchor and ship's wheel design
Black and grey compass rose tattoo with fine lines on a woman's upper back, with her long hair falling over her shoulder.
Compass rose on upper back
Black ink drawing of a three-masted sailing ship riding interwoven waves, with a hanging anchor on a thin line, in a traditional nautical design shown on cream paper.
Sailing ship on waves with anchor
Black tribal-style compass rose design with a patterned ring and central flower motif, drawn on a parchment background, with no body placement shown.
Compass rose design with tribal bands