the Tall Ships currently converging on Bermuda.

And Saturday night's mix of traditional sea shanties and his self-penned work was a fitting tribute to the men -- and women -- who go down to the sea in ships.

He kicked off with the story of a Royal Navy veteran who fought at Trafalgar with Nelson in 1805 after falling victim to the roving press gangs which infested ports in those days.

And Zentz -- a former US Coast Guard sailor with a wide knowledge of naval history -- entertained his audience, regrettably a little smaller than usual, with stories as well as songs.

Humour was never far from the surface either, with one story of an ancient mariner who claimed to be bosun, captain, cook, mate -- and the crew of the captain's gig.

A disbelieving listener questions that -- to be told that his ship was wrecked and he was the sole survivor after the crew turned to cannibalism to survive.

And -- like many sailors -- Zentz love of the environment and the creatures of the sea shone through in his own song, Ocean Station Bravo, about the eerie sub-sea communication of whales -- and his ability to talk to them by pinging them with his sonar set.

Companioned by the Sea, a song about the erosion of the coastline in his native Virginia -- and overdevelopment by man -- maintained a green thread running through the set.

But the rate of knots was raised with the rousing Fiddler's Green -- the sailors' heaven, where bottles of rum grow on every tree -- and a witty take-off using the tune of Kenny Roger's The Gambler, a quick run-through of the complexities of handling a ship under sail.

And Zentz' skill with the banjo and harmonica shone through on both songs, with some virtuoso work on both.

It bears repeating that the Folk Club provides a consistently high standard of acts throughout the year -- with Zentz being no exception -- and the organisers deserve nothing but praise for their work in attracting top acts to the Island.

RAYMOND HAINEY Songs from the sea: Folk singer Bob Zentz left audiences well satisfied on Saturday night with his mix of sea shanties.