NOTICE TO MARINERS
(John M. Dwyer)

Come all you Northwest sailors, who cruise on Puget Sound,
And listen to my story, for well it will astound;
'Tis of a ferry captain, who ventured forth one day,
And of the fate befell him, as he sailed on the bay.

The ferry left Seattle, 'twas on a foggy day,
The captain had no worries, for well he knew the way;
He headed 'cross the water, where finny things abound,
And set his course for Bremerton, across famed Puget Sound.

Now all good skippers have a trick, who sail these waters 'round,
And when the fog is thickest, 'tis then they steer by sound;
Full several times a minute, their whistle loud they blow,
And by the echo bouncing, when land is close they know.

The ferry neared Rich Passage, a place of rocks and shoals,
And narrow as an hourglass, as past Point White she goes;
The captain slowed the ferry, and not to run aground,
He blew upon his whistle, and listened for the sound.

Now, a farmer on Point Glover, across the neck from White,
Had tied his cow that foggy morn, upon lush grass to bite;
So several times a minute, the ferry's whistle blew,
And as the captain listened, the echo came back "Moo!"

The captain turned the vessel, still steering by the sound,
And guided by that silly cow, the ferry ran aground;
So all you Northwest sailors, give listen to me now,
And when you cruise on Puget Sound, don't navigate by cow!

Copyright 1974 John Dwyer
All Rights Reserved

*Note. Though I have all of Dad's papers, I transcribed this song from Linda Allen's book Washington Songs and Lore, 1988, ISBN 0-9616441-3-3. The word "finny" in the second verse comes from the dictionary "finny: 1. provided with or characterized by fins 2. relating to or being fish. This word isn't a typo for "funny."

Maggie Dwyer
February 8, 2006