Wow! Interesting thread. Downeast Bob, I found your posting particularly so. Never having had ANY experience on a sea going or even river or lake going vessel, I learned a lot. The crew ACTUALLY sang as they performed their duties? I thought that was just something out of the movies.

I knew an old Arizona cowboy, and he said he had never heard any cowboys sing as they went about their work. Said by the time they bedded down at night, nobody had the strength to sing around the campfire. Sorry for the creep. Had they sung, though, maybe they would have sung Shenandoah! That gets us back on track. DougR