Gibb-

Meloney paraphrases DRUNKEN SAILOR as in Masefield, and says it belongs to the navy man-o'-war. It was used for hoisting boats or heaving heavy weights aboard. He then says that in the merchant service it was called a "main brace 'walk-away'".

Perhaps this walk-away shanty for shifting tacks and braces is what Meloney meant for a shanty used by the Navy.

Or maybe he meant "Bell-Bottomed Trousers."

Cheerily,
Charley Noble