Wouldn't a wonderful addition to your shanty writing contest be a shanty FINDING contest? If more (or all) of us spent more time on FINDING shanties before they get lost, the world would be an more better place.

They're out there folks, in adled geezer brains and old attic'ed trunks and every year there are fewer and fewer (geezers, trunks and shanties). Some day there will be none at all. My good friend and shanty singing shipmate Jon Eberhardt, a shanty (and other song) writer of no small talent, never let an opportunity go buy to challenge people to find old songs. Guess what they found them!

Of course finding 'em is harder than writing 'em.

I wish all contestants the best of luck and may the best shanty person win, KC