CHARLIE STRUE

charlie STRUE John Hullet

he Zephyr was heading homewards from Rottnest to the Swan with Charlie’s hand upon the wheel his to love and connT

The throbbing of her engine the turning of her screw the hissing wheeze of steam and smoke were life to Charlie Strue

Her funnel dipped beneath the swell her canvas cover drumming her bow embraced by briny lips her decks awash and running

The women on the upper deck some looking drawn and pale the men were on the lower deck roisterous drinking ale

The children ran between the two their spirits wild and free possessed by her abandoned joy as she embraced her sea When up stepped a rather pompous gent a sassenach of letters and said if she’d but face the wind by gad she’d ride the better

Then Charlie ceased to suck his pipe and pulled his briar out and said in quiet measured tones he’d ne’er been known to shout

“Ships be made to pitch and roll ‘tis wisely said and true let the buggers pitch and roll thank ye but we’ll make do”

The days of steam have long since gone and Charlie is no more yet the Zephyr’s bell still rings to tell of the forgotten days of yore

Following the recent talk by Gerry McGann, my interest was sparked by the mention of the Zephyr as the earliest Rottnest Ferry. The skipper of the Zephyr was Charlie Strue. The incident described in my ballad was told to me by my father-in-law Ron Waterstrom who occasionally served as a volunteer on the Zephyr. Ron was a former Rear Commodore Power at our Club. The Zephyr’s bell mentioned in the ballad now serves after yacht races at Fremantle Sailing Club. so it survives. The rolling action of the Zephyr, described graphically by Gerry McGann, I also featured in my ballad.