--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Trollops are capital things in port, but…" description: "\"“Trollops are capital things in port, but will not do at sea.”\" — Patrick O'Brian" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/patrick-o-brian-2283_port_trollops-are-capital-things-in-port-but_1182667.png" --- # Trollops are capital things in port, but will not do at sea. ![“Trollops are capital things in port, but will not do at sea.” quote by Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/patrick-o-brian-2283_port_trollops-are-capital-things-in-port-but_1182667.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/patrick-o-brian-2283_port_trollops-are-capital-things-in-port-but_1182667.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/patrick-o-brian-2283_port_trollops-are-capital-things-in-port-but_1182667.png) > ““Trollops are capital things in port, but will not do at sea.”” [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In ports, women are valued for their charm, but at sea practical skills matter more than appearance. **In simple terms:** Women valued for charm on land, but skill matters at sea. Key Takeaway Recognize the limits of superficial appeal. Themes gender practicality seafaring Mood reflective critical Type observational social commentary When to use this quote - maritime work - ship crew - port life - gender norms Key Concepts social expectations role reversal Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance charm and competence? - When does appearance become a liability? A Different Perspective Superficial traits cannot replace competence in demanding environments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Port](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/port/) [River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river/) ## Related quotes > [“I’m just allergic to cheating trollops – it makes me break out in sarcasm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-harvey-berrick/i-m-just-allergic-to-cheating-trollops-it-makes-me-break-out-in/) [Jane Harvey-Berrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-harvey-berrick/) > [The boat is safer anchored at the port; but that’s not the aim of boats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-boat-is-safer-anchored-at-the-port-but-that-s-not-the-aim-of-boats/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [No wind favors him who has no destined port](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-peale/no-wind-favors-him-who-has-no-destined-port/) Norman Peale > [About 95% of people can be compared to ships without rudders. Subject to every shift of wind and tide, they're helplessly adrift. And while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/about-95-of-people-can-be-compared-to-ships-without-rudders-subject/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/if-the-highest-aim-of-a-captain-were-to-preserve-his-ship-he-would/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [Some boats are rotten in the ports; some boats shine in the hard journeys!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/some-boats-are-rotten-in-the-ports-some-boats-shine-in-the-hard/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favorable to him. Ignoranti quem portum petat, nullus suus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/if-a-man-does-not-know-to-what-port-he-is-steering-no-wind-is/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [There are only two options for a ship: Either to sail to the sea and fight with the waves or rot in a port!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/there-are-only-two-options-for-a-ship-either-to-sail-to-the-sea-and/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Some gifted adventurer is always sailing round the world of art and science, to bring home costly merchandise from every port.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/some-gifted-adventurer-is-always-sailing-round-the-world-of-art-and/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [“Sometimes in life, we reach a right place by departing from a wrong port with a wrong ship!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/sometimes-in-life-we-reach-a-right-place-by-departing-from-a-wrong/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Books should confuse. Literature abhors the typical. Literature flows to the particular, the mundane, the greasiness of paper, the taste of warm beer, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/books-should-confuse-literature-abhors-the-typical-literature-flows/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [Buonaparte has often made his boast that our fleet would be worn out by keeping the sea and that his was kept in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-nelson/buonaparte-has-often-made-his-boast-that-our-fleet-would-be-worn-out/) [Horatio Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatio-nelson/) > [O friend, never strike sail to a fear! Come into port greatly, or sail with God the seas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/o-friend-never-strike-sail-to-a-fear-come-into-port-greatly-or-sail/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The American President resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-american-president-resembles-the-commander-of-a-ship-at-sea-he/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [It is easy to give advice from a port of safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/it-is-easy-to-give-advice-from-a-port-of-safety/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) ## More by Patrick O'Brian > [“Christ's blood in heaven, you ignorant, incompetent whey-faced nestlecock, do you think I am a hired spy, an informer? That I have a master,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/christ-s-blood-in-heaven-you-ignorant-incompetent-whey-faced/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“To tell the truth, sir, I believe I had rather sit in the shelter for a while. The cabbage seems to have turned my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/to-tell-the-truth-sir-i-believe-i-had-rather-sit-in-the-shelter-for-a/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“Never mind the disappointment. Salt water will wash it away. You will be amazed how unimportant it will seem in a week’s time –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/never-mind-the-disappointment-salt-water-will-wash-it-away-you-will/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“The weather had freshened almost to coldness, for the wind was coming more easterly, from the chilly currents between Tristan and the Cape; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/the-weather-had-freshened-almost-to-coldness-for-the-wind-was-coming/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“Of course I do know it is the French who are so wicked; but there are all these people who keep coming and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/of-course-i-do-know-it-is-the-french-who-are-so-wicked-but-there-are/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [My wife and I have spent most of our lives in France, and we are both pretty well bilingual, my wife more purely than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/my-wife-and-i-have-spent-most-of-our-lives-in-france-and-we-are-both/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“This short watch that is about to come, or rather these two short watches--why are they called dog watches? 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Really, that's what it's all about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/the-function-of-the-novel-is-the-exploration-of-the-human-condition/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [It is a great while since I felt the grind of bone under my saw,' he added, smiling with anticipation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/it-is-a-great-while-since-i-felt-the-grind-of-bone-under-my-saw-he/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [Other people's marriages are a perpetual source of amazement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/other-people-s-marriages-are-a-perpetual-source-of-amazement/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“But I will tell you another misery that is not to be denied. In the common, natural course of events physicians, surgeons and apothecaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/but-i-will-tell-you-another-misery-that-is-not-to-be-denied-in-the/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“Yet,'said Maturin, pursuing his own thought, 'there is a quality in dogs, I must confess, rarely to be seen elsewhere and that is affection:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/yet-said-maturin-pursuing-his-own-thought-there-is-a-quality-in-dogs/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“Physically he was tired and his body relaxed throughout its entire length; his mind was in much the same state, floating free, detached, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/physically-he-was-tired-and-his-body-relaxed-throughout-its-entire/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“It was quite unlike their friendly discourse of some days before, and presently Stephen grew sadly bored: lies or half-lies, he reflected, had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/it-was-quite-unlike-their-friendly-discourse-of-some-days-before-and/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“it would be the Devil to pay and no pitch hot”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/it-would-be-the-devil-to-pay-and-no-pitch-hot/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) [Explore all 167 Patrick O'Brian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) ## More Port quotes > [It is easy to give advice from a port of safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/it-is-easy-to-give-advice-from-a-port-of-safety/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [The American President resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-american-president-resembles-the-commander-of-a-ship-at-sea-he/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [O friend, never strike sail to a fear! Come into port greatly, or sail with God the seas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/o-friend-never-strike-sail-to-a-fear-come-into-port-greatly-or-sail/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Buonaparte has often made his boast that our fleet would be worn out by keeping the sea and that his was kept in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-nelson/buonaparte-has-often-made-his-boast-that-our-fleet-would-be-worn-out/) [Horatio Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatio-nelson/) > [Books should confuse. Literature abhors the typical. Literature flows to the particular, the mundane, the greasiness of paper, the taste of warm beer, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/books-should-confuse-literature-abhors-the-typical-literature-flows/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [“Sometimes in life, we reach a right place by departing from a wrong port with a wrong ship!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/sometimes-in-life-we-reach-a-right-place-by-departing-from-a-wrong/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Some gifted adventurer is always sailing round the world of art and science, to bring home costly merchandise from every port.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/some-gifted-adventurer-is-always-sailing-round-the-world-of-art-and/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [In 2003, this House voted to kill a Democratic amendment to add $250 million for port security grants; then again, in 2005, against a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russ-carnahan/in-2003-this-house-voted-to-kill-a-democratic-amendment-to-add-250/) [Russ Carnahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russ-carnahan/) > [O polished perturbation! golden care! That keep'st the ports of slumber open wide To many a watchful night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-polished-perturbation-golden-care-that-keep-st-the-ports-of-slumber/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I can't have friends in every port. I have to work very hard and be very clear about what I want to do. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-can-t-have-friends-in-every-port-i-have-to-work-very-hard-and-be/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [I bought ... the pins with my three daughters in mind; the ships are beautiful, graceful, and moving along at full sail, having long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-bought-the-pins-with-my-three-daughters-in-mind-the-ships-are/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [There are only two options for a ship: Either to sail to the sea and fight with the waves or rot in a port!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/there-are-only-two-options-for-a-ship-either-to-sail-to-the-sea-and/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favorable to him. Ignoranti quem portum petat, nullus suus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/if-a-man-does-not-know-to-what-port-he-is-steering-no-wind-is/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [I represent the Port of Philadelphia, and I know firsthand the important role that ports play in the national and global economy. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allyson-schwartz/i-represent-the-port-of-philadelphia-and-i-know-firsthand-the/) [Allyson Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allyson-schwartz/) > [The Moon is our local port opening to the universe; in the future, it's through that port we will sail our ships to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-moon-is-our-local-port-opening-to-the-universe-in-the-future-it-s/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) [Browse all 330 Port quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/port/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Trollops are capital things in port, but will not do at sea.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patrick O'Brian" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/trollops-are-capital-things-in-port-but-will-not-do-at-sea/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Port" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/trollops-are-capital-things-in-port-but-will-not-do-at-sea/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/patrick-o-brian-2283_port_trollops-are-capital-things-in-port-but_1182667.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/patrick-o-brian-2283_port_trollops-are-capital-things-in-port-but_1182667.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/patrick-o-brian-2283_port_trollops-are-capital-things-in-port-but_1182667.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Trollops are capital things in port, but will not do at sea.” — Patrick O'Brian", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Patrick O'Brian", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Trollops are capital things in port,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/trollops-are-capital-things-in-port-but-will-not-do-at-sea/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/trollops-are-capital-things-in-port-but-will-not-do-at-sea/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```