If You Go to Sea

If you go to sea you really must know

What to do when the wind she blows.

If weather bodes toward a nasty gale

You must, beforehand, shorten sail.

As the gale comes on and it gets quite rough

Head up to weather but don’t let sails to luff.

It’s a good idea to use a drogue

To keep the vessel under good control.

If when quite rough and stomach is sour

It will make it worse if only under power.

Many safety things should be aboard

EPIRB, life raft, plenty of tie down cord.

So when Mother Nature gnashes her teeth

You should secure all loose things on deck please.

Batten down the hatches, secure all below,

Then bear with the weather ’til the end of the blow.

After a storm passes by and blue fills the sky

Put all wet things topsides so they’ll dry.

— Flip Harrington and Soo Whiting