Peter Kennedy's Folktrax label issued a double CD of field recordings of shanties from the James Madison Carpenter Collection sung by retired sailors, some born as long ago as the 1830s and 1840s.
On all three recordings of Drunken Sailor it is pronounced earl-ee not earl-eye.
Rio appears as both Ree-o and Rye-o, and Hilo as High-low and Hee-lo (in the same line in one case!)