Hi Folks,
Glad to see there are still people interested in the Montague Whaler. I wrote the song after passing the 'dead Boat pound', just inside the dockyard gate in Pompey, where I saw a large number of these once well-loved boats left to rot. That night I woke with the words in my head and quickly scribbled them down and they were still there the next morning. The song has not changed since. Shep recorded it on his album 'Goodbye Sailor' (or was it 'Songs for Oars and Scrubbers?) and still sings it to this day. I have come across it sung all around the world and it is published in the latest edition of the Oxford Book of Sea Songs - 'Boxing the Compass'. Apart from the Montagues upon which I lavished much time in the RN, I once owned (saved) the Montague Swan, last heard of somewhere in Cornwall and I hope still going strong. I was once asked for permission to sing the song by a well known Folk singer and my reply was then and is now, "Songs are for singing."