The use of songs to haul shacks/chanties accross Islands to escape storms is well documented and contributes to the debate about the origin of the word shanty/chantey see Hugill Shanties from the seven seas 1979 edition page 22 which gives a clear description - there are feild recordings, I think by Lomax, of the songs. It is important, therefore, to distinguish between Shanties and Sea Shanties.