Something specific sailors get tattooed on their arm?

Answer 1

• A sparrow for every 5,000 nautical miles traveled.
• A swallow, because a swallows always finds its way home.
• A rooster and a pig on the ankles, calves, or the tops of feet to prevent drowning.
• • These animals were originally carried on most ships in wooden crates. When a ship goes down these crates would float and then catch currents and wash ashore with the other debris from the ship, making the pigs and roosters often the only souls to survive a shipwreck.
  • "Pig on the knee, safety at sea. A cock on the right, never lose a fight."
• A turtle standing on its back legs, for crossing the equator and being initiated into King Neptune's Court.
• A tattoo of King Neptune if you crossed the Equator.
• Crossed anchors on the web between the thumb and index finger.
• Royal Navy tattoos of palm trees for the Mediterranean cruises in WWII.
• Many US sailors have a palm tree or hula girl from Hawaii.
• The words HOLD and FAST were tattooed on the knuckles to help hold line.
• Anchor tattoo for sailing the Atlantic.
• • Also sometimes noted that the sailor was in the merchant marine.
• Full rigged ship for sailing around Cape Horn.
• Dragon for crossing the international date line or serving in China.
• Rope around the wrist for being a dockhand.
• Two stars to ensure always knowing the way.
• Guns or crossed cannon for military naval service.
• Harpoons for the fishing fleet.
• Crosses on the soles of one's feet to ward off hungry sharks.
• A nautical star, or compass rose was to always find your way home.
• A dagger through a rose signified a willingness to fight and kill even something as fragile as a rose.
• Many sailors also got pornographic images so that they would always have them with them.
• SHip
• Mom
• Anchor
• WOman

Answer 2

Sailor Jerry is known to be the old-school tattoo-ist for many sailors and greasers in the 1950s.