SCRIPT FOR THE SHIPPING FORECAST by Adrian Plass © 2012
Announcer
Listener
And now, here is the shipping forecast.
There are warnings of gales in Viking,
North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties,
Cromarty, German Bight and Humber.
The general synopsis:
Low, Rockall, 9 7 3 moving northwards,
losing its identity by same time. New
low expected Malin by that time.
Low, Hebrides 9 9 4, moving rapidly
South-East, and losing its identity by
midday tomorrow.
[ANNOUNCER FADES DOWN]
Losing its identity. Yes, that sounds
about right. That’s what happens just
before a new low. How much lower is it
possible to go in Biscay or in bitterness
or in some strange, unfriendly berth?
Three more months at sea – three
The area forecasts for the next 24 hours: months before hitting, smashing into a
new port. Yes, a new low definitely
Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire — expected by that time.
Gale warning issued Oh, nine four two. [ANNOUNCER FADES UP]
South-Easterly gale force 8 increasing
severe gale force 9 later; wind SouthEasterly 6 to 8, occasionally severe gale
9; sea state rough or very rough,
becoming very rough or high; rain later; [ANNOUNCER FADES DOWN]
visibility moderate or good
Yes, that sums it up, rough, or very
rough, becoming very rough or even
Forties, Cromarty —
high, high, high, so high above my
Gale warning issued Oh, nine four two. head, my heart, my happiness, my
Severe gale force 9 veering North- lonely lingering hope …
Westerly and decreasing gale force 8 – [ANNOUNCER FADES UP]
imminent. Wind South-East 5 to 7,
occasionally gale 8; sea state moderate
or rough; rain later and squally
showers; visibility moderate or good, [ANNOUNCER FADES DOWN]
occasionally poor later.
Occasionally poor. Difficult to see,
difficult to see. At sea, it can be difficult
Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher —
to see. It can be moderate or good, but
Variable, becoming cyclonic, 3 or 4; but when the days are long and the nights
Easterly or South-Easterly 5 or 6 in are even longer, and your heart is filled
North and East. Rain then showers. with squally showers, it is so difficult to
Moderate or good.
see why or what or where or when – or
who?
German Bight and Humber —
[ANNOUNCER FADES UP]
Gale warning. South-Easterly severe
gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8,
imminent; wind South-East 6 to gale 8,
occasionally severe gale 9 veering
South-West 6 later; sea state moderate
or rough; rain or thundery showers;
visibility moderate or good, occasion- [ANNOUNCER FADES DOWN]
ally poor.
A strange confusion this, the wind, the
sea state, all the weather and the good
Thames, Dover, Portland and Plymouth and poor and moderate visibility.
— variable 4 or 5; but Northerly or Solitude warning. Severe sadness, 6 to
North-Easterly 6 or 7, occasional gale in gale 8, veering east, east, east towards
South backing North-Westerly later. the place where some sublime horizon
Intermittent wintery showers. Visibility must still hover gently on my distant
moderate or good becoming poor later. home. [ANNOUNCER FADES UP]
Fitzroy and Sole —
severe gale force 9 veering Westerly and
decreasing force 7 later.
Sea state
rough. Thundery showers, visibility
moderate or good.
[ANNOUNCER FADES DOWN]
– Ah, Sole, Sole. Don’t know any
Fitzroy, but I do have a soul – I think.
No thunder in my soul. Perhaps a
murmur, though. Tentative and tender
is the tiny little murmur in my soul.
Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon, And yet, there could be quite a lot to
Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey —
say – one day, one day, if anyone will
West or North-West, 4 or 5, increasing 6 listen …
at times in Irish Sea. Showers. Moderate [ANNOUNCER FADES UP]
or good.
Fair Isle, Faeroes —
West or North West backing South or
South-West, 5 or 6, decreasing 3 at
times. Rain or drizzle later. Moderate or
good.
[ANNOUNCER FADES DOWN]
Fair Isle, Faeroes – sound so fresh and
beautiful, but not always...
Cyclonic, rough and very tough, this
battle with the seas,
And, South-East Iceland —
In Lundy, Fastnet, Shannon, Rockall,
Northerly or North-Easterly 4 or 5 Malin, Hebrides.
increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time. And in the head and in the heart and
Wintery showers, good, occasionally from the deepest plea,
poor.
They wait to hear the Shipping Forecast
say how things will be.
And that completes the shipping
The Sailors’ Society will veer west and
forecast.
north and east and south ensuring
good-to-excellent visibility; fresh rain of
forgiveness, love and peace; thundering
justice; gale-force hospitality and
rippling waves of acceptance, warmth
and love from the source of all
goodness, the heart of God. This is the
Shipping Forecast for every single day
of the year.
Optional Reading
Mark 4 : 35 - 39
That day when evening came, he said to
his disciples, ’Let us go over to the other
side.‘ Leaving the crowd behind, they
took him along, just as he was, in the
boat. There were also other boats with
him. A furious squall came up, and the
waves broke over the boat, so that it
was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the
stern sleeping on a cushion. The
disciples woke him and said to him,
‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’
He got up, rebuked the wind and said
to the waves, ’Quiet! Be still!’ Then the
wind died down and it was completely
calm.
Of course he cares, and our task, as
members and friends of the Sailors’ Society,
is to bring the calming spirit of Jesus into
storms that afflict seafaring men and
women all over the world. Amen.
©Adrian Plass 2012