Whether you’re stuck on land or planning your next voyage, sailing movies are the perfect way to stay inspired. At Borrow A Boat, our passion for all things sailing extends to storytelling on the high seas. Explore our curated movie-night list featuring epic adventures, thrilling rescues, and heart-pounding sea battles. After the credits roll, live out your own sailing dreams with a sailboat charter.
The Top 12 Best Sailing Movies of All Time
12. True Spirit (2023)
Director: Sarah Spillane
IMDb Score: 6.6/10
Streaming: Netflix
In 2010, 16-year-old Australian Jessica Watson sailed her 34ft pink sloop Ella’s Pink Lady solo, non-stop, and unassisted around the world: 210 days at sea, seven knockdowns, one 180-degree roll-over, and she docked back in Sydney on her 17th birthday. Sarah Spillane’s Netflix adaptation casts Teagan Croft as Watson, with Anna Paquin as her mother and Cliff Curtis as her mentor. Family-friendly and rooted in Watson’s own book. The strongest recent answer to anyone asking what 2020s sailing cinema actually looks like, and the cleanest pick on this list for a Saturday-night watch on Netflix.
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11. Captain Ron (1992)
Director: Thom Eberhardt
IMDb Score: 5.9/10
Captain Ron follows the misadventures of the titular character portrayed by Kurt Russell, who is hired by an upper-middle class father, Martin Harvey, and his family to guide their yacht through the Caribbean. The voyage isn’t as straightforward as the family expects it to be, as Captain Ron knows only how to steer the family into trouble. The movie is mixture of adventure, madness and the importance of family. While you wouldn’t want to be involved in many parts of the boat ride, others seem so fun that you’d like to leave everything behind for a while and simply jump on a boat. Great family movie-night choice, full of laughter and tropical vibes. Plan your own (calmer) adventure with a Caribbean sailboat charter.
10. White Squall (1996)
Director: Ridley Scott
IMDb Score: 6.7/10
Based on a true story, this movie follows a group of school boys, who are educated on discipline and a hard work ethic aboard a ship by a strong-willed skipper. The ship eventually sets sail, but things take a violent turn when they encounter a white squall storm. The boys must then use everything that the skipper has taught them to try and survive the ordeal. So the big question is: Will they make it out safely?Themes of leadership, resilience, and survival against nature. A visually powerful coming-of-age film on the high seas. Perfect pick for viewers seeking emotional, action-packed storytelling.
9. Deep Water (2006)
Directors: Louise Osmond and Jerry Rothwell
IMDb Score: 7.8/10
Deep Water is a critically acclaimed documentary telling the story of the disastrous 1968 round-the-world yacht race. Battling threatening seas and psychological ruin, amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst attempts a nine-month, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. To summarize, the results are terrifying. It is not simply a documentary about a sailor who didn’t have the experience needed to go on a voyage such as the one Crowhurst participated in, but it explores the limits of human perseverance. Explores mental endurance, isolation, and human frailty. Highly recommended for fans of real-life sailing challenges.
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8. Adrift (2018)
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
IMDb Score: 6.6/10
In 1983, 23-year-old Tami Oldham and her fiance Richard Sharp accepted a delivery job: sail a 44ft yacht from Tahiti to San Diego for its owners. Forty-one days in, they hit the eye of Hurricane Raymond. Shailene Woodley (also a producer) plays Oldham in Baltasar Kormakur’s adaptation of her own memoir, with Sam Claflin as Richard. Hurricane sequences were shot at sea aboard a real boat, not a studio tank. If All is Lost is the quiet minimalist end of solo-survival cinema, Adrift is the emotional, romance-framed counterpart, with the added weight of being entirely true.
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7. In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
Director: Ron Howard
IMDb Score: 6.9/10
In 1820, the Nantucket whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by a sperm whale in the remote Pacific, 2,000 miles from the nearest land. Its crew spent 95 days in three open whaleboats, with outcomes that Herman Melville would later fictionalise into Moby Dick. Ron Howard’s film, anchored by Chris Hemsworth as first mate Owen Chase, centres on that survival ordeal, bookended by Melville (Ben Whishaw) interviewing the last living survivor decades later. Visually ambitious, historically serious, and the closest modern cinema has come to the real scale of 19th-century whaling-era sailing.
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6. Dead Calm (1989)
Director: Phillip Noyce
IMDb Score: 6.8/10
Dead Calm stars Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, Billy Zane, and a beautiful 60 ft ketch. The film is a thriller that is sure to get your blood pumping. It was filmed almost entirely at sea in the Whitsundays Islands of Australia. Chilling exploration of isolation, danger, and survival at sea. Perfect choice for suspense and thriller fans.
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5. Maiden (2018)
Director: Alex Holmes
IMDb Score: 7.8/10
At 24, Tracy Edwards was told an all-female crew would never finish the Whitbread Round the World Race. She bought a second-hand 58ft aluminum yacht, re-christened it Maiden, and entered the 1989 edition anyway. Alex Holmes’s documentary stitches period-accurate onboard footage together with present-day interviews across six legs from Southampton to Uruguay, South Africa, Auckland, and back. Maiden finished second in its class and redefined what a sailing crew could look like. 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, an emotional pull that survives repeat viewings, and probably the single most important sailing documentary of the last decade.
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4. Kon-Tiki (2012)
Directors: Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg
IMDb Score: 7.2/10
Awards: Oscar and Golden Globe nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
Filmed on the island of Malta, Kon-Tiki is a historical drama based on the story of Thor Heyerdahl and his 1947 Kon-Tiki exploration expedition. It is the first time a Norwegian film has been nominated for both an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award. Still today, it is the highest grossing film in Norway. In the movie, Thor Heyerdahl sets out on his epic journey to cross the Pacific Ocean. During the course of his trip, he hopes to prove that South Americans could settle in Polynesia during pre-Columbian times. The dramatic events that follow are gripping! Celebrates exploration, courage, and early Polynesian seafaring theories.
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3. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Director: Peter Weir
IMDb Score: 7.4/10
Directed by the talented Peter Wier, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a naval drama set during the Napoleonic wars, featuring breathtaking battles. Russell Crowe plays an arrogant captain who pushes his ship and crew to their limits while attempting to capture a French warship. The action-packed battle scenes keep us on the edge of our seats. Gripping scenes of ships and the sea have us in awe. During the film, we learn about the stories of the men on the ship and their struggle to make it through alive. It is more than a story on battles on the sea, but an insight into human psychology in terms of crisis and struggle. Highly praised for its historical accuracy and spectacular ocean cinematography.
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2. Wind (1992)
Director: Carroll Ballard
IMDb Score: 6.4/10
Wind tells the story of Will Parker, a sailor who tragically loses the America’s Cup race. The race is considered the world’s biggest sailing prize. After the loss, he decides to form his own crew to reclaim the prize. A mix of both adventure and romance, it’s inspired by the real events of the 1983 America’s Cup. Features real sailors, stunning boat racing sequences, and intense drama. Great pick for sports enthusiasts and sailing competition fans.
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1. All is Lost (2013)
Director: J.C. Chandor
IMDb Score: 6.9/10
Lastly, All is Lost stars Robert Redford as a solo sailor who meets disastrous circumstances out at sea. It is then that he has a tiring battle fighting for his life. Man-and-boat-against-the-sea is a classic theme in sailing movies, and Redford and director J.C. Chandor do just that. Redford ends up in a storm that almost destroys his little boat and leaves him only with the choice of staying or going out on a little rubber raft to save his life. It is a quiet film, sometimes difficult to watch, but absolutely worth it. Minimalist storytelling highlighting pure survival and perseverance. Essential viewing for sailors, adventurers, and fans of powerful cinema.
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Ready to Live Your Own Sailing Movie?
Movies end, adventures do not have to. Whether you dreamed of a Caribbean escape with Captain Ron, a Mediterranean crossing in the spirit of Master and Commander, or a solo Pacific epic like Adrift or True Spirit, Borrow A Boat puts 7,000+ sailboats worldwide within reach.
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Keep the inspiration going with our guides to the top Mediterranean sailing routes and the 10 best Caribbean party islands.