I have always interpreted it as meaning the call/pull of the home port and the ladies therein was an incentive to a fast home voyage, the metaphor being of the ship towed by the crew in longboats as in a calm or if disabled.
If I remember from my days in the sea cadets "row" meant two oars per man and "pull" one oar per man (in the "Andrew", anyway, if not the Merchant Navy)- but then, I'm usually wrong!
I've always heard it sung (Corries, Spinners etc) as "Row" and never as "Roll"
RtS