OCEAN STATION BRAVO

Words and music ©1999 Bob Zentz

 

Gordon – Spanish guitar

This is from Bob’s days in the Coast Guard. The vessel he was on had experimental speakers in the water – I suppose because you never know whom you’re going to be talking to out there. 

 

Ocean Station Bravo - North Atlantic Ocean

Somewhere south of Greenland - somewhere far from home

Nothing on the radar - nothing on the sonar

Hove to and drifting on this ocean all alone 

She was the CGC Sebago – Ocean Station Vessel

High Endurance Cutter, Number 42

Studying the weather - aids to navigation

Plotting ships and aircraft as they come sailing through

 

Just a speck upon the ocean – center of a circle

Nothing but horizon – wind and sea and sky

This whole world in motion – blowing from the Northeast

Not a hint of sunshine, just the grey clouds running by

 

Lookout calls the bridge-watch: "Objects in the water

Moving Surface Contact – off the starboard bow"

Plot 'em on the radar, fire up the sonar

Listen for the echoes – Ah, can you hear them now?

 

There's echoes in the headphones – whale-sound from the speakers

Filling all the spaces inside C.I.C*.              (*Combat Information Center)

Songs of love and travel – songs of generations

Echoes of the ages in cetacean harmony

 

And me – I had to answer – I sang, I talked, I whistled

Even played the mouth harp through the microphone

They returned the favor with chirps and clicks and whistles

Songs of celebration not so different from our own

 

And when the watch was over – out onto the bridge wing

You can see those sounding singers as they breach and sport and play

Just a pod of humpbacks – farewell flukes a-waving

A memory worth saving as we traveled on our way

For we'd had a conversation with Leviathan that day

                       

Ocean Station Bravo - North Atlantic Ocean

Somewhere south of Greenland - somewhere far from home

Nothing on the radar - nothing on the sonar

Hove to and drifting…

 

 

 

Ocean Station Bravo is recorded on the album Other Eyes