So far as the present names on the chart are concerned a boat heading for Mingulay is not crossing either Minch, it's going through one or both of them them and several hours from home. If it needs a song to cheer the crew it may well be hard work beating (repeatedly bringing the head round) into the prevailing wind and so many hours from home.

Having sung the song doing something similar in a modern plastic boat in the Little Minch that's what the words conjure up.