Tacking Ship Off Shore

DESCRIPTION: In a storm the ship is driven toward "the lighthouse tall on Fire Island Head" but the skillful captain and crew avoid "a dangerous shoal" and "steady the helm to the open sea"
AUTHOR: Words: Walter F. Mitchell
EARLIEST DATE: 1926 (Eckstorm/Smyth-MinstrelsyOfMaine)
KEYWORDS: sea ship storm sailor
FOUND IN: Canada(Mar)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Creighton-SongsAndBalladsFromNovaScotia 147, "Tacking of a Full Rigged Ship Off Shore" (1 text, 1 tune)
Eckstorm/Smyth-MinstrelsyOfMaine, pp. 216-218, "Tacking Ship Off Shore" (1 text)
ST CrNS147 (Partial)
Roud #1845
NOTES [93 words]: The author, according to Creighton-NovaScotia, is "a native of Nantucket Island"; perhaps the Fire Island lighthouse is the one on the Long Island shore of New York. - BS
The title "Tacking Ship Off Shore" does not seem to be found in tradition (the Eckstorm/Smyth-MinstrelsyOfMaine version was from print, based apparently by a performance by one William Palmer), but it appears to be the author's title. The poem seems to have been fairly popular; Granger's Index to Poetry cites five anthologies, mostly of the sentimental sort, containing the piece. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.2
File: CrNS147

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