A Dark and Stormy Night
She was the pride of the fleet
Her length two hundred feet
Merimbula was fitted with twin screws
It plied the coastal trade
twice weekly trips were made
With passengers, fuel and daily news
Commissioned in '09
It sailed from the Clyde
And quickly was sailing the South Coast
In the twenties, trade was slack
Fewer passengers up and back
And less cargo to carry, hurt the most
Quick! Man the lifeboats!
Merimbula isn't moving
It's stuck fast on a reef off Beecroft Head
On the deck, the waves are crashing
Make haste, release the lashing
before she ends up on the ocean bed
In March, twenty eight
The weather sealed her fate
When sailing down to Eden in the night
The ship ran aground
What an awful tearing sound
Next morn t'was a terrible sight
Quick! Man the lifeboats!
Merimbula isn't moving
It's stuck fast on a reef off Beecroft Head
On the deck, the waves are crashing
Make haste, release the lashing
before she ends up on the ocean bed
It was a question of honour
That Captain John O'Connor
Set off to reach the lighthouse on the cape
It was ten miles 'cross the heather
No matter what the weather
And he prayed the crew would make the escape
Quick! Man the lifeboats!
Merimbula isn't moving
It's stuck fast on a reef off Beecroft Head
On the deck, the waves are crashing
Make haste, release the lashing
before she ends up on the ocean bed
Cars from Nowra in the morn
Came for passengers forlorn
found in the huts upon the shore
It was the final sail
No passengers or mail
Sailing on the coast would be no more
Quick! Man the lifeboats!
Merimbula isn't moving
It's stuck fast on a reef off Beecroft Head
On the deck, the waves are crashing
Make haste, release the lashing
before she ends up on the ocean bed
Before she ends up on the ocean bed