set sail

Idioms  

1. Also, make sail. Begin a voyage on water, as in Dad rented a yacht, and we're about to set sail for the Caribbean, or We'll make sail for the nearest port. These expressions, dating from the early 1500s, originally meant “put the sails in position to catch the wind,” and hence cause the vessel to move.

---

Example Sentences

It was only the third cargo to set sail from Jask since 2021.

From The Wall Street Journal

Defence sources told the BBC on Saturday that the crew of HMS Prince of Wales were told they must be ready to set sail in five days.

From BBC

Wildcat and Merlin helicopters have arrived in Cyprus and HMS Dragon, a warship with air-defence capabilities, will set sail for the eastern Mediterranean "in the next couple of days", Healey said, following criticism from the Cypriot government over the speed of Britain's action to defend the island.

From Barron's

The carrier was placed on an advanced state of readiness on Saturday, meaning it could set sail within five days if ministers gave the order for it to be deployed.

From BBC

HMS Dragon is not ready to leave Portsmouth yet and is expected to set sail in the next few days.

From BBC