The meaning of this sentence is that the ship of life needs firm faith and courage to face the challenge of the waves, in order to ride the wind and waves in the vast ocean and meet a new journey. And those canoes have no clear goal and direction, so they are easily swallowed up by the waves and can't escape the fate of being buried at the bottom of the sea.
So this sentence conveys a positive outlook on life and the spirit of bravely facing difficulties. In the face of the challenges of life, we should be as firm as a ship and go forward bravely in order to meet success and growth. At the same time, we should avoid going with the flow and keep a clear head and goals in order to avoid failure and extinction.