Here are some new lyrics to the tune of the Stan Rogers song, "Mary Ellen Carter." There will be a Ship Hits the Sand party this February in Coos Bay, OR, to commemorate the grounding and subsequent adventures of the freighter New Carissa in 1999. Enjoy!

Wendy

NEW CARISSA/MARY ELLEN CARTER

by Wendy Joseph 10/10/02

She ran aground in February, 1999
Down on the shore in Coos Bay, upon the sand so fine
She came to get wood chippings, sailing through a northwest blow
But the gallant New Carissa settled low
The engineers all scratched their heads and wondered what to do
They tried to drain her bunker fuel, but it started to leak through
They ended up in therapy, which probably won't end
But will the gallant New Carissa rise again?


Rise again, rise again
That her name not be lost to the memory of men
They shot her full of holes, and torpedoed in the end
But will the gallant New Carissa rise again?


They brought in pyrotechnic kings who knew just what to do
"Set her fuel on fire, boys, we'll blow up all the goo!"
With good old trusty C-4, and napalm just in case
But it flashed and died and the old girl's still in place
Now birds are dying rapidly and all the Greenies cry
"Can't you kill that stupid ship so the birdies all can fly?"
The weather started making up, storm coming, who knows when
But will the gallant New Carissa rise again?

(Chorus)

She then decided to divide, and fore and aft were two
The fuel was rushing like a fountain gray into the blue
They brought the sturdy tug Sea Victory to do her job
Chugging through the greasy oily blob
They tried to tow her bow to sea, but Carissa said "No way!"
She broke the tow line in a storm and danced into the bay
And now her bow and stern both laugh upon the sandy grains
To make the gallant New Carissa rise again

(Chorus)

They called the U S. Navy out, in desperation straits
The David R. Ray and the Bremerton both fired away
They could have sent New Carissa Swiss cheese to the store
Them Navy boys should really practice more
A last torpedo took her to her grave, or so they say
Her stern still sits upon the shore, to this very day
Her bow's two miles down they say, but does the story end?
Will the gallant New Carissa rise again?

(Chorus)