Qui voit Ouessant voit son sang, qui voit Sein voit sa fin, qui voit Groix voit sa croix.
“He who sees Ouessant sees his own blood; he who sees Sein sees his end; he who sees Groix sees his cross.”
A sailors' warning that the waters around these Breton islands are so treacherous that merely sighting them foretells shipwreck and death.
— Traditional Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon Wisdom, Saint Pierre & Miquelon
Source: Traditional Breton sailors' proverb, ancestral maritime heritage of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon's Breton founding fishermen, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Saint Pierre & Miquelon
When the seagulls have their feet on the ground, it is time to turn back.
Seabirds seeking refuge on land signal an approaching storm, so sailors should head home.
A dappled sky and a powdered woman do not last long.
Fine weather under a mottled sky changes as fast as makeup fades — nothing about it can be trusted to hold.
Fog in the valley, fisherman, go make your catch.
Morning fog low in the valleys is a sign of a fair day at sea, so the fisherman should set out.
By gazing at the sea long enough, one day you end up taking to it.
A life spent watching the sea eventually draws a person into becoming a sailor themselves.
When the horizon isn't clear, stay at the tavern.
A hazy or uncertain horizon is a sign to stay ashore rather than risk putting out to sea.
He who listens too much to the weather forecast spends his life in the bar.
A sailor who waits for a perfect forecast before setting out will never actually leave port.