of the original yawl Sea Bird, built 1901, whose design Uncle Lawrie adapted
when he built his own Sea Bird in the 1970s.
THE MATE OF THE SEA BIRD
Farewell to dear Aunty June, who has just passed away aged 96.
26th October 2020
The mate of the Sea Bird, off down Middlekilns Lane –
It’s time for the old yawl to set sail again.
And although it’s been years since dear Sea Bird last flew,
There she lies at high tide: fresh varnish, new blue.
The dinghy rows well, June will soon be aboard;
And her hearing’s so clear, and her eyes are so good!
The curlew cries lovely, while from oaks on the shore
The ring of the wren and the robin’s allure.
June climbs without twinge and steps onto the deck,
No ache in the legs, no stiff back or neck:
All the bronzework is shiny, indeed nothing’s left dull
As the breeze hums the stays and the pill laps the hull.
How cosy the cabin, familiar the scents
Of pipe smoke and Primus, of hemp rope and paint.
Just one thing is different, from voyages of yore:
No need now for kitbags of food to be stored.
The mate knows her duties, and checks all around:
Are the sails clear to hoist, is the rigging set sound?
Is the bilge pumped quite dry, will the sheets run out free?
Does the Blue Peter flutter, up there at the tree?
Yes: Sea Bird is ready as ever, right now –
For here comes the captain, finished up at the bow.
It’s been a long time, and they’ve so much to say;
‘But first things first, J.B.: let’s get under way!’
The tide’s started ebbing, it pulls to the sea:
They just cast off the mooring, and Sea Bird is free.
The wind’s right astern, soon the jib’s filling well:
All three sails pulling hard when they feel the first swell…
No chronometer, compass, sextant, or charts:
The captain and mate will be steering by heart.
