16 bars?

That would depend on a number of factors, not least whether the sailor was brisk or stout, whether the version was collected by C# in West Harptree, Somerset, by Baring Gould in Widdecombe, Devon, or whether you were listening to Chris Willett on VOP, We've Got Orders To Sail, and possibly even whether it was being played in G or C.

Rambling Sailor/Trim Rigged Doxy

Whatever.

I think it's about average to take 10 bars to assess what's going on musically and another 5 to know whether it's going to work. That's what I did 5 years ago when I first heard Jon'n'John and the same process was going on among those around me at that tiny venue (Islington F*lk Club, as it goes).

This depended, of course, upon our being able to count bars in the first place.

When madlizzie first heard of them last week she doubtless took 'other factors' into consideration.

Not clever, not funny.

John Spiers & Jon Boden are serious musicians who, against the odds, are successful. This is a Good Thing. They care passionately about what they are doing.

And so do I.

Go to the Electric Theatre. It's a brilliant venue (thanks Lawrence).
OK, you've got to sit down, which is difficult. But it's tiered and you can see.