TEWWG

"Ships at a distance have ever man's wish on board...That is the life of men." (page 1)

In this paragraph the speaker is talking about wishes and dreams. The ships do not actually have every man's wish on board, but instead they are metaphors for those wishes and dreams. What the speaker means by this paragraph is that while some men get everything they want (the ships coming in with the tide), others aren't so lucky and their wishes only get presented once they've given up (never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation). Those unfortunate ones are often discouraged and therefore their dreams are "mocked to death by Time." According to the speaker, this is the life of all men, waiting for something to happen then seeing that it only does after it's too late.