Ken Gourlay, you’re a true legend.
What do you do while waiting for the wind to arrive in the Solomon Seas? If you’re Ken… you write poetry.
Enjoy this beautiful piece from the man himself below.
I did love sailing by Ken Gourlay
I love to go sailing
Out on the lake
It can be such a great break.
My friends and I would go sailing
We would laugh, drink and enjoy
It was our home not our employ.
The wind in you hair
Light spray in your face
The boat heels and picks up pace.
The feeling of freedom
Out on the open blue
Nature is at one with you.
Wind, quick adjust the sails
White sails flapping in the breeze
They bellow out with ease.
Come racing they all told me
Together we will make a team
I grabbed my gear, I was keen.
There’s this race they said
Melbourne to Osaka just for you and me
We will sail through the Solomon Sea.
The day it came
We sat ready to start
Too much wind for us to start
Straight up the East coast
That suits our boat
I had better not gloat.
The Solomon Sea
I’m looking forward to that
But alas that’s where we sat.
12 miles one boat cried
I had to smile we did 15
This sea can be awfully mean.
My boat is too heavy I hear the cry
The reply came, jettison the wood
Will it help, well it could.
Flat as flat can be
We all waited for the breeze
Come sailing they said with such ease.
Slat slat the noise is back
Slat slat we heard it all day
Oops that just broke there’s more money to pay.
About us are plenty more
Lights it’s a fishing boat
Lights it’s a tanker boat.
Oh I did love sailing
When I went at home
When it was me all alone.
Original Words by Ken Gourlay.