Poetry by Roy Bliss ©
The Broker Joker
I met this marine yacht broker,
a friendly sort of joker,
Who told me of a bargain very rare,
I should have known better,
and had him sign a letter
and remembered that the buyer should beware.
My boating friends, (the lot)
Said I'd have to fix the rot,
and the old girls' really seen much better days
So, I got this fellow Bliss
to take a look at this,
and tell me how much cash I'd have to raise.
Well, there's no caulking in the rabbet
and the fastenings have had it
and it looks as though you'll need a few new beams,
Sister timbers are required.
God ! How that salesman lied
You could poke your leather belt between the seams.
The salesman mentioned huon
and she's a lovely boat to crew on
and he believed the hull was built by Norman Wright,
The surveyor took exception
at this blatant mis-conception
"If Norman Wright was here, he'd want to fight"
He said I got no bargain
and went on with some jargon
about the buttock lines and forefoot being deep,
The sheer line is hogged
and the transom heavily bogged
and the dead rise seems to be a bit to steep.
Timber, I haven't a clue on,
the salesman said it's huon
the surveyor laughed, and I was in the dark
"The boat could fall in ruin,
It's one 1 wouldn't crew in,
Built of pawpaw tree is closer to the mark!"
I was sold a pup, I feel
Now she's painted to appeal,
she has different skippers nearly every day.
This great bargain that I found
is now in a kids play ground
instead of being cruised around the Bay.
Roy Bliss
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