We know you are wondering......Why the name Make It So?

Make It So has a long history of British naval tradition as well as Star Trek legacy. Perfect for Jib and Teresa, both avid boaters and Star Trek fans.

Who really knows when the first sailing ship was built, but as time moved on, sailing vessels became more sophisticated and important to the European economy.  Historians peg the Age of Discovery as starting in the 15th century when square rigged, multi-masted vessels became the norm. They were guided by a magnetic compass and sightings of the sun and stars that allowed transoceanic voyages. “The Age of Sail reached its peak in the 18th and 19th centuries with large, heavily armed battleships and merchant sailing ships”[1]

The British Navy would soon grow to become the largest and most powerful navy in the world until the second World War[2]. The captain of each ship was God as naval discipline was imperative. No one was allowed to make a move without the captain or the officer of the deck’s acknowledgment. This included the ship’s log. Before an entry could be made, the captain would say “Make It So” as only this important command would make the log entry official. Make It So was a standard phrase used by British naval offices for centuries to acknowledge all official commands. Including the small ones. 

Even Shakespeare would write “Nothing is either good or bad but thinking makes it so”[3]. Cham Tang interprets this quote to mean that we decide if life events are good or bad. We can then make these events empowering or disempowering. The choice is yours. 

Fast forward to 1987 when Gene Roddenberry wrote “Make It So” into Jean-Luc Picard’s dialog in his debut episode “Encounter at Fairpoint” for the new series Star Trek: The Next Generation series[4]. Invariably the crew of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) would find themselves in some sort of problem or situation, a solution would be found, and Picard would order “Make It So”. Right out of British navy history. Perfect. 

For those who like trivia, the phrase “Make It So” was used 64 times throughout the 178 episodes of The Next Generation. Of those, Riker used the phrase six times, Data twice, and LaForge, Worf, and Jameson used the phase once. Picard used the phrase 53 times[5]. There is no information on how many times Picard said “Engage”. 

Today, we welcome you aboard Make It So. Our dinghy is named the Shuttlecraft and we serve hors d’oeuvres on the holodeck, not the flybridge. Earl Grey tea, hot, is served in Ten-Forward, not our salon. If Jib is in the engine room, you might hear Teresa shouting, “I need more power” with Jib yelling back “I’m giving her all she’s got Captain”. The course has now been set, so we can truly say “Make It So”. Engage!
   

[1] Sailing ship. Wikipedia, last edited on 13 January 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_ship 

[2] Royal Navy. Wikipedia, last edited on 13 January 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Navy 

[3]Tang, Cham. Shakespeare’s Quote For Re-Framing Anything. 12 December 2017. https://www.authentic.com.au/blog/mindset/monumental-quotes-shakespeare/ 

[4] What’s The Origin of Picard’s Signature Phrase “Make It So”?. Scifi Stackexchange, 25 January 2012. https://www.handitv.com/allstartrek/next-generation/qa/whats-the-origin-of-picards-signature-phrase-make-it-so 

[5]How many times did Captain Picard say “make it so” in Star Trek: The Next Generation? Quora. https://www.quora.com/How-many-times-did-Captain-Picard-say-make-it-so-in-Star-Trek-The-Next-Generation