[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Man the clew-garnets ! " " Let the main sheet fly ! "
It rends in thousand shivering threads on high.

The mainsail, all in streaming ruins tore,
Loud fluttering, imitates the thunders roar.

The watchful seaman, whose sagacious eye
On sure experience may with truth rely,

Who from the reigning cause foretells the effect,
This barb'rous practice ever will regret ;

For fluttering loose in air, the rigid sail
Soon flits to ruins in the furious gale ;

And he who strives, the tempest to disarm
Will never first embrail the lee yard-arm.

Do you agree?

[Barrie Youde]

Who could not?

After a long preamble, the final couplet makes the most perfect sense to any reader of SN, I hope!

Many thanks!

If the rain before the wind,
Halyards, sheets and tops'ls mind.

If the wind before the rain,
Soon you may make sail again!