Pirateology - Singing Traditional Cache
geohatter: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am archiving it.
If you wish to email me please send your email via my profile (click on my name) and quote the cache name and number.
Regards
Paul
geohatter - Volunteer UK Reviewer www.geocaching.com
UK Geocaching Policies Wiki
Geocaching Help Center
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
LESSONS IN BECOMING A PIRATE
READ, PRACTICE, LEARN AND BRING YOUR SKILLS TO PIRATEMANIA!
11 in a series of 20
SEA SHANTIES (singular "shanty", also spelled "chantey"; derived from the French word "chanter", 'to sing') were shipboard working songs. Predominantly an American, Canadian and British phenomenon (some Continental countries frowned on singing at sea), shanties flourished from at least the fifteenth century through the days of steam ships in the first half of the 20th century. Most surviving shanties date from the nineteenth and (less commonly) eighteenth centuries.
In the days when human muscles were the only power source available aboard ship, sea shanties served a practical purpose: the rhythm of the song served to synchronize the movements of the shipworkers as they toiled at repetitive tasks. They also served a social purpose: singing, and listening to song, is pleasant; it alleviates boredom, and lightens the burden of hard work, of which there was no shortage on long voyages.
Shanties may be divided into several rough categories:
Long-drag (also called "halyard") shanties: Sung when a job of hauling on a rope was expected to last a long time. Usually one pull per verse, to give the men a chance to rest. Examples: "Hanging Johnny," "Blow the Man Down."
Short-drag (also called "short-haul", "sheet", or "hand over hand") shanties: Sung when a job of hauling on a rope was expected to be quick. Two or more pulls per verse. Examples: "Boney," "Haul Away, Joe," "Blow the Man Down," "Drunken Sailor."
Capstan (also called "stamp and go") shanties: Raising the anchor on a ship involved winding the rope along a giant winch, turned by sailors walking around it. Capstan shanties are anchor-raising shanties. They are typically more "smooth" sounding than other types (no pulling required) and, unlike many other types of shanties, frequently have a full chorus in addition to the call-and-response verses. Examples: "Paddy Lay Back," "Rio Grande," "South Australia," "John Brown's Body," (adapted from Army marching song).
Pumping Shanties: All wooden ships leak somewhat. There was a special hold (cargo area) in the ships where the leaked-in water (the bilge) would collect: the bilge hold. The bilge water had to be pumped out frequently; on period ships this was done with a two-man pump. Many pumping shanties were also used as capstan shanties, and vice versa, particularly after the adoption of the Downton pump which used a capstan rather than pump handles moved up and down. Examples include: "Strike The Bell," "Shallow Brown," "Barnacle Bill the Sailor," "Lowlands."
Fo'c's'le (Forecastle) Shanties: Shanties sung for fun. Example: "Rolling Down To Old Maui". As these were not sung during work, they are sometimes not referred to as "shanties", but rather as forebitters or simply as sea songs.
Many thanks to Mandarin Lake for placing the original cache.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
nezpb