There's a number of merchant mariner songs of recent vintage on the British India Ship website (http://www.biship.com/song).

Here's a sample:

By Douglas Boyd

TO BOMBAY

Both tugs are in attendance, one astern and one ahead,
And the order comes from our Clan's bridge to let go,
"She's off the berth now, Sir", and the Master nods his head,
And the Third Mate at the engine telegraph rings "Ahead Slow",
Pilot leaves at the Bar and "H" flag is pulled down,
Log streamed, and we're now full away,
Goodbye wintry Britain and cold Birkenhead town,
As we voyage,
Across the world,
To Bombay.

Cape Finisterre's light, flashing bright in the night,
The coast of Portugal slips swiftly away,
Past Rock of Gibraltar, British emblem of might,
And heading East, towards dawn of day,
The climate becomes warm, with the sky clear and bright,
And Master has decided that we change uniforms to white,
On balmy days like these, it's a delight to be,
On a fine British ship, on a cobalt blue sea.

Three lights ahead, on a reciprocal course,
"Dig out the Signal Lamp" and let's practice our Morse,
"What Ship, Where Bound ?", probably a Dutchman or Greek,
but she's Bibby's "Warwickshire", with holds full of teak,
Five days through the Med to Egypt's Port Said,
Past Algiers, and Malta, Cape Bon,
To drop some parcels of cargo, have fresh water supplied,
And top up the bunkers before going on.

In the Great Bitter Lake, we stop and drop our port hook,
And lean on the bridge rail and have a good look,
The Northbound convoy is stirring, and, picking up speed,
BI's splendid white "Uganda" is taking the lead,
With "Floristan, Salsette, City of Brisbane, Elpenor,
Helenus , Mahronda, Martaban and Benmhor",
A funnel we know, two red bands on black,
"Clan MacLaren" from Colombo, full of tea, and heading back,
What a magnificent stately procession,
The pride of Britain's fleet,
Bringing Chalnas' jute for our carpets,
And Australian apples for us to eat.

We pass out of the Canal at Suez, into searingly hot Red Sea,
This is now petroleum country for, as far as you can see,
A long long line of tankers, hauling oil to the West,
Over there is Shell's three island "Haminella", and a smart blue-painted Maersk,
There's BP's pristine "British Kestrel", and "Caltex Mozambique",
And another Shell, "Achatina", and an unknown rusty Greek,
All very low in the water,
Full of products or Arabian crude,
They are our European lifeline,
Carrying machinery's liquid food.

Aden's Navy stores over the side into lighters,
For the Aircraft Carrier and her fighters,
And some Destroyers and Frigates in the bay,
Put the engines on stand-by, slip the buoys, a glorious orangey- pink-red sky,
Goodnight Arabia, full speed ahead, and now we're away,
Ship steering North East, in a strengthening breeze,
Everything well battened down, as we expect heavy seas,
Windscoops retracted, and all ports screwed tight,
We pitch and roll constantly, to the Indian Ocean's might.

There's Strick's colourful "Khuzistan", going very fast,
We pass about a mile apart, and she salutes us with a blast,
Attractive Gulf-run "Dwarka", far away to port,
Hain's "Tremorvah" and Reardon Smith's "Welsh City",
And a Liberian war-built Fort,
A Scindia Jala-boat crosses, much closer than a cable,
And there's no doubt in our minds what's on HER dinner table,
She's moving really quite slowly, in no particular hurry,
The following wind carries to us, a strong aroma of their curry.

Ten days to discharge our heavy cargo, railway lines, industrial parts,
Then clean the holds, consult the loading plan, correct the Navigational charts,
Evening visits to the B.I. Club, enjoy an ice-cold beer,
Talk shop in elegant surroundings, lots of news and gossip to hear,
Meet friends from "Karanja" and "Kampala", "Clan MacInnes, Santhia",
See "City of Karachi" arrive, and departure of "Sangola",
We're loading cloth and carpets, tea and sisal, coir mats,
Manganese for industry, fish meal to feed the cats,
Our ship is now ready, pilot aboard, and rigged for sea,
Until next time,
"Al-vee-dah", India,
Land of spice and rice, rupee.

(Contributed by Douglas Boyd, who wrote it originally for Clan Line, from British India Ship website: http://www.biship.com/song)

Cheerily,
Charley Noble