In Canso Strait our vessel lay We'd just returned from out the Bay A schooner built both stout and strong And to Gloucester she did belong We were homeward bound and ready for sea When our drunken captain got on a spree He come on board and to us did say "Get your anchors, boy, and fill away" Well, we got our anchors at his command And with all sail set, we left the land We left old Sand Point on our lee And headed her out against a steep head-sea Well, the night come on, the dark clouds lower The wind did howl and the waves did roar An angry wave from the angry sky It knocked her down about half-mast high Well, the jib-sheets parted, which eased her some She come head-to-wind and she rose again We got our jibs in and a new sheet bent And straight'way aft to our captain went We kindly asked him to shorten sail Or we'd be lost in the heavy gale He cursed and swore that if the wind would blow He'd show us how his old boat could go Then up spoke one of our gallant men "There's twelve of us right here at hand We'll reef her down and to sea we'll go And if you refuse, you'll be tied below" Well, the seas did roar and the wind did rave We never thought our lives we'd save But we reefed her down to her own success She's like a bird swinging for the nest She's headed up off the Cape Shore now She knocks the white foam off her bow Oh, never again will I ever sail With a drunken captain and a heavy gale