VOYAGE OF THE SILVER LADY
Part 1:
You load your cargo and stow it in your holds
Every inch taken, from wings to the squares
Lower hatches covered 'tween decks full
Down to your marks, completely full
Pilots aboard, tugs all fast, single up all lines
Ladders aboard, let go forward, let go aft
After spring off, ahead dead slow,
Forward spring back aboard, all ahead slow
Hull vibrating, as the wheel turns around
Prop wash flowing both sides all the way down
Into the channel, batten your hatches
Secure your gear, each boom in cradle tied down
All wires taut, as down the channel you move
Past the pilots station and thru the gate
Tug away forward, tugs away aft
Pilot boat alongside, pilot away
Past the roads buoy, hard to starboard
Radars working, radios on, secure for sea
Check the satellite; we don't want to get lost
3rd on watch, takes his first star sight
Set your sea watch, all hand to dinner
Cooky's been busy, tonight you'll see
Master on the bridge, one last check to make
Alone in his cabin, his family's pictures he looks
Midnight approaches, one last check of her decks
Master on bridge, the moon he sees,
He sends her his love on the bright moonbeams
Part 2:
Night has passed and slowly she awakens.
The 4 to 8 is off, gone below for chow and sleep
The 8 to 12 is on now with the Chief in the Con;
Able Bodies and Ordinaries on deck after chow
Forward port winch cable has whip lashed -
Unwind the spool - lay the wire on deck
Boats is hollering heave that wire, heave that wire
In his cabin, the Captain reads the voyage orders
Kobe, Pusan, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Singapore,
Jakarta, Surabaya, Brisbane; a long trip then we go home
The 8 to 12 is now off down to chow they go.
12 to 4 now has the watch with the 2nd in the con.
Down below, in 130-degree heat, the Black Gang works
Chief Engineer and his loyal 1st, wipers and oilers
All work to keep her boilers fired and turbines spinning
Gauges, levels, records to keep, Old man wants to know
How many bunkers we use, how's our evaporator
How are the Lubes, do we have enough to get where we go
12 to 4 is off now, going to see what cookie has been doing all day.
4 to 8 has the con right now; 3rd in the wheel house his night sight to take.
Captain in his chair, looks ahead, turns to his side at a picture he stares.
His wife and sons and daughter, a tear in his eye, must be from dust.
And so it goes the first night and day at sea.
Only 31 more and land we will see
Part 3:
The days are warm and pleasant, the seas as smooth as glass.
The days pass easily and quickly and life aboard continues
The seas the color of turquoise with faint white caps;
The Flag flutters in the breeze and all doors are open for the breeze
She rolls only slightly and pitches none at all;
Dolphins play at her bow behind her stern wake, white foam to be seen
The Trade Winds softly caress her main deck. Aloft gliding all alone,
the mighty Albatross majestically floats on wings that do not move.
Ten days out and there is a subtle change, the breeze has changed
becoming more of a wind; the seas are becoming grey
She is starting to pitch and her roll is heavier than before
Winds increasing, seas building, white foaming seas
Flag standing straight out; now plowing into the seas
where only yesterday she slipped quietly
Seas over the bow; against the breakwater they smash.
Dark cold water running down her main deck
Now plunging and pitching, head on into the sea;
No life on deck, too dangerous for that
Rising and falling, pitching and rolling, still on course;
Below in their cabins the crew tries to rest
The gales of November - Neptune's Fury, raging seas
Howling winds in the wires, main deck completely awash
In the Wheel House, the Master sits, his eyes on the water;
Helmsmen at the wheel steering a course straight and true
Green water rolling down her main deck, smashes against the House
The Master gives orders, "Steer port." "Steer starboard." "Hold her steady."
For three long days the gale rages and screams;
The ship is tossed about like a toy boat by a child.
Down below life goes on. Yes, it's uncomfortable, but we've seen worse.
For three days the Master never leaves the wheelhouse.
Part 4:
For three days the ship has been battered by the Seas
For three days the Master has steered her straight and true
The morning dawns bright and sunny, white puffy clouds all that remain
The Gales have left and the Trade Winds return, seas fall
Onboard the Lady, life on deck resumes. Time to check for damage,
Time to see below, has the cargo shifted? Is any adrift in the hold?
Our cargo is safe, nice and secure, nothing has shifted
Nothing is adrift, as is as it should be, all is safe.
The Lady is a good ship solidly built
She weathered the storm, with no damage to be found
The Silver Lady and her Captain have come thru again
There were some that did not survive; some will never bee seen again
Off in the distance on the horizon, smoke we do see
Another vessel has weathered the storm we are glad to see
It's the American Racer, on her homeward bound voyage.
We pass port to port, and damage to her cranes and deck cargo damage we see
Lost is the port stern lifeboat, swept completely away
Number 4 crane bent and twisted like a child's toy would be
Containers are hanging over the portside rail
After hatch is clean, nothing to be seen
All gone, taken by one mighty wave, King Neptune has again a token claimed
She survived but only by God's good Graces, others not so lucky
Part 5:
The American Racer has passed; homeward she be;
We watch her wake as over the horizon goes she.
All through the day, westward she steams
Swells now gentle, slipping smoothly thru the seas
Life on the Lady goes on, check the stow, re-dog hatches
Dusk is coming, will be a full moon tonight
Up ahead, radar target off to the port, to small for a ship
Alter course 5 degrees port, slow ahead, dead slow now
The remains of a sister who did not weather the storm
Debris, flotsam is all that we see, life rings, and bits of wood
Off to the starboard one of her boats is seen
Completely awash and almost submerged, no sign of life
No sign of life, no name is seen, who can she be this sister of mine
Dead stop, lower a boat, and search for survivors, if any still afloat
Searched all night long, without a trace, no life, not a trace
Who is she, gone with no trace, no calls were heard
The dawn comes slowly as her boat she recovers
Ahead dead slow, the order is heard, telegraph ahead dead slow
The Silver Lady departs with her heart full of pain
Her crew and Captain all feel the same pain
A sister and her crew, lost with no trace,
Her heart is heavy as she sails from this sad place
Neptune has claimed another as his own; their sacrifice is made
Part 6:
We have departed the site of the unknown vessel
Telegraph rings all ahead full
Revolutions increase, her hull begins to throb
Her stern settles lower in the water and her bow rises
On into the day she steams, those lost not forgotten
But life must go on, we are two days behind, time must be made
Up in his cabin the Master reads his latest orders
Ports are now changed, to Busan only we go
On the horn to the Mate on watch, change course to 310
Its now to South Korea we go, 12,000 tons of bagged rice
12,000 tons of bagged rice, South Korea it will now feed
Our voyage shortened by 12 full days, in Busan just 8 more days
The days are quiet, the weather is calm,
Her crew works quietly all day and night long
All stand their watches, all take their turn
This part of the voyage better than expected
She nears the approaches, other ships are near by
All heading for the same position in the harbor
All vessels given the same lat and long
Pilot alongside, up the ladder and now aboard the ship
Pilots says we go to anchor to await our berth
3 ships ahead, a 10 day wait it will be
We near the our anchorage, anchor detail at the ready
Order give "Let go Port Anchor", chain rattles as the anchor is dropped
One shot, two shots, 3 full shots of chain, now its 4 shots and finally 5
5 full shots of chain now in the water, all back dead slow as we set the flukes
Slowly backing down, we feel the flukes bite, the ship shudders
The order is given "All Stop", All Stop is repeated, telegraph now on Stop
Pilots away, authorities and agent now alongside,
Boarding party now onboard and to the Masters office they go
Part 7:
Pilot's gone and agents and Authorities onboard
Down the deck and into the house, up to the ships office
Skippers there along with Sparky, papers ready
All in and sit around the table, Immigration looks a crew list
Customs looks at ships documents and arrival papers
Immigration calls for crew; all proceed thru and show Z-card
Formalities done, coffee gone, time now for a drink
Johnny Walker Black or Red, doesn't matter
Authorities' bags opened against the bulkhead
Into each goes Johnny Walker Red and Black, bags closed
Hand shakes and smiles all around, authorities leave office
Once all gone, skipper looks at Sparky and says, "Bloody thieving bastards"
Skipper laughs and says what the hell sparks, let's go eat
Down to the Mess to see what Cooky's done today
Prime Rib, Baked Potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, Creamed Corn
Fresh baked bread, Lemon Pudding and Chocolate cake
Cookie must want something, made the Skipper's favorites
Meals done and Stewards gather the plates, out on deck for a smoke
Days done, suns going down, look to port and you can see the town
10 days on the hook before we berth, 10 days of easy deck and engine work
The days pass quickly and soon it is time, Agent on the radio
Time to shift to berth, Pilots and Tugs alongside at "O dark thirty"
Pilot aboard, Stand by engine, Standby on Deck
Heave the anchor, Windlass slowly cranking, chain clanking
Anchor up; dead slow ahead, Pilot and Skipper on the Wings of the Bridge
Daylight approaches as she slips into berth, silently touching, just a kiss on the pier
Forward Spring out, After Spring on now, Give them the forward breast
Now give them the Head Lines, 6 in all. , Stern Lines next, this time will be eight
One more Forward Spring and one more aft, she's all fast, get the gangway out
Gangways out, here come to stevedores, ship boss and hatch boss
Part 8:
Labors aboard, ships alive with men and movement
Drivers to the winches, unlash the booms
Raise the booms; marry them together for heavier lifting
Grab the wire; open the hatches, hatches opened
Rig the spreader bars, fasten the safety wire
Lower the bar into the hatches
Gangs below into the square, grab the slings
One, two, three, four, ten jumbo bags make 20 tons
Slow on the winch, easy lifting, first lift is slow and tight
Clear the hatch combing, swing out over the dock
Lower the lift, easy now; kiss the dock with the bags
Grab the release and lift the bar up and away
Back aboard, and into the hatch, ten more bags are now attached
Same drill, lift slow and easy, clear the combings and on to the dock
Four gangs working in four full hatches,
Booms swinging in a rhythm of a beating drum
Squares now wide open; lift the forks into the hold
Lift the bags from the wings, set them into the square
B deck holds number one and 4 are now clear and empty
Open the 'tween deck cover, slow and easy,
Still a good tight stow, weather did not bother these two decks
B beck, hold number 2 now clear and empty
'Tween deck cover opened looks like some is adrift
Going to take longer for number 2; bags broken and cargo loose
For ten days they work around the clock
Ship shakes and shudders and cargo is taken off
Hatch number one is now empty and ready to clean
Hatch number two is now empty and ready to clean
Hatches three and four are empty and ready to clean
Cargo's all ashore, no damage to the ship, get ready to sail
Part 9:
Master's in his office, voyage orders finally come in
He reads the orders and a small grin crosses his face
Not a long trip this time, only one port in which to load
Sailing Kobe and a cargo of steel to load
Twenty-two thousand tons of pipe and rebar and coils to load
Nice easy cargo to load, will have to have tight stow
Weather will be bad, don't want it to shift and break loose
Two days steaming and five days to load,
Then we depart and head for home, home to see her smile
Home to see her smile and to feel her heart beat
Agents onboard for his last minute stuff, Pilots on board
Here come the tugs, all fast forward, all fast aft
One last check for stowaways and gangways back aboard
Secured in its cradle and safe now for sea
Old man's on the bridge and he's ready to go,
Single up all lines is the order heard down below
Let go forward and they hit the water with a splash
Reel them in, damn that waters cold
Let go aft and it's all repeated again
Lines brought back on board are cold and wet
Let go forward spring is the order now given
All back aft, dead slow, forward tug begins to back
Bow eases away from the dock, now it's clear
All stop, is the order now heard down below
Let go aft spring, after tug begins to pull
Stern's now clear of the dock and the ship behind
Tugs forward and aft, white water rolling from their wheels
Ship's clear, both tugs now alongside and begin to push
Part 10:
Ahead slow comes the order from the con
Wheel begins to turn, blades flash in the sun
White water boils around her stern and flows away
You can hear the wheel as it churns the water white
She begins to move forward as the wheel pushes
Ahead one-third is the order now heard
Clear of the docks and into the channel she slides
Weathers clear and no storms now to fear
Coming to the pilot station, five hundred yards away
Dead slow is the order as she loses her forward speed
Pilot boat alongside and ladders over the side
Pilots gone and boats now away, her bow to the sea
Ahead one third is again the order that is heard
She surges ahead as if anxious to be away and heads for the sea
Coming to the roads buoy, ahead two thirds
Clear of the precautionary area, full ahead is now heard
She surges ahead and into the seas, her bow raises and falls
As she settles into her mood and her soul is again free
Two more days at sea, two more days it will be
Two more days and then a few in Kobe
She surges ahead as if she knows that soon she will be going home
Part 11:
Two days from Busan to Kobe, seas like glass
Traffic increasing, Sampans, fishing boats
Slow to two thirds, man the focs'le tower
Watch the radar, woods not a good target
Extra watch on the wings; keep a sharp lookout
In among a fishing fleet, damn wooden little toys
Clear of the fisherman, all ahead full.
Have to make up the lost time to get our berth
Kickapoo Belle heading for the same berth
First one gets the berth, loser waits ten days
Silver Lady feels the urgency and slices thru the water
Silver Lady wants to go home like her crew
Engine running full out, hull vibrating with her rhythm
Bow wave boiling and white water sliding down her hull
Both vessels doing maximum speed, both running hard
Silver Lady is newer, bigger engine, more power
Contact from the Japanese Coast Guard
Report in our position and ETA to pilots
Contact the Kobe Pilots, Silver Lady is ahead
Silver Lady will berth on arrival and load for home
Slow to one third; make a Lee, Pilot boat coming alongside
Ladder one meter above water, Pilots on the ladder, up and over
Pilots in the wheelhouse, Tugs coming alongside
One tugs made fast forward, one tug made fast aft
Into to bay and heading for our berth, all stop
Portside to, tugs pushing hard, get the lines ready
Spring lines out fore and aft, Spring lines all fast
Give them three head lines, Give them four stern lines
All fast forward, all fast aft, Gangway ashore and secure
Pilots away, here come the agent and authorities.
©Copyright 2002 by Becky
Awarded: December 31, 2004