Plimsoll Gear
Samuel Plimsoll
One of the Great Humanitarians
of the Victorian Era
"At night when we are lying in
Our beds secure and warm,
We hear the moaning wind that tells
The coming of the storm.
Then thunder roars and lightning plays
Around with fiendish glee
On such a night may God protect
Our sailors on the sea."
[ from "Our Sailors on the Sea" Words by F. W. Green, Esq, and music composed by Alfred Lee. Respectfully dedicated to Samuel Plimsoll, MP.
Samuel Plimsoll, {1824-1898] was a member of Parliament in Britain who fought against unsafe maritime practices, specifically the overloading of ships. His efforts led to the passage of the Merchant Shipping Act in 1876 which required ships to have marks indicating safe load lines. The Plimsoll Mark as seen on ships to this day is the result of Plimsoll's unrelenting efforts to raise safety standards and to protect life at sea for the merchant mariner. Samuel Plimsoll's passion and campaign to save lives at sea have inspired both poetry and song.
As with ships, when we as individuals are in balance we feel safe and prepared to weather life's storms, everyday challenges and circumstances.
At sea and in life, "It's all about balance."®
