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.

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Example Sentences

After fleeing China via Hong Kong, Ecuador and the Bahamas, he set sail in October 2021 for Florida on a flimsy inflatable boat, scheduling the online release of his evidence in case he didn’t make it to shore.

From The Wall Street Journal

There are fun house mirrors, a whimsical train, a mechanical Geppetto waving in a workshop and a cat ready to set sail atop the mast of a ship.

From Los Angeles Times

Skippers of nearly 130 yachts set sail on a "bumpy" Sydney-Hobart ocean race Friday, many scattering rose petals for the Bondi Beach shooting victims as they ventured into rolling seas.

From Barron's

"A ship of the American company Chevron has set sail from our country carrying Venezuelan oil bound for the United States, in strict adherence to regulations and in fulfillment of the commitments undertaken by our oil industry," Rodriguez said on Telegram.

From Barron's

It launched the Treasure ship last year, the newest Destiny ship in November, and the Adventure is expected to set sail in Asia in March.

From Barron's