Shanty Time

The sea shanty has a new lease of life. Heave away, haul away. A singing postman from Ayrshire has TikTok'd his way to the front of the nation's attention.  And we're bound for South Australia.

And good for him.  Heave away, haul away.  Although he is reported to have given up his post-manning. And we're bound for South Australia.  

Presumably he's running away to sea.  Heave...(FB notes that it will be an even more annoying experience than usual for his handful of readers if he persists in this juvenile interspersion of sea shantyisms....so he invites readers to voice them themselves, should they be so inclined).

In FB's experience, cricketers are not habitual users of shanties.  Even though in his long and undistinguished career Fantasy Bob has seen a lot of heaving.  It would have been against the spirit of cricket for him to sing out 'Heave away, Haul away' or some such nautical response after each frantic swing across the line.  It would have made no difference, in the elite leagues that FB inhabits, the heave across the line is what most batsmen consider their best shot,  It has to be because it is usually their only shot.  And they are determined to use it.  Blow the Man Down.

If shanties don't bring cricketing thoughts to FB's mind, they do remind him of his days sailing the ocean blue.  He recalls one instance when some shantying of the heave away haul away kind might have helped a tricky situation. 

Cruising round Majorca (someone has to), skipper FB and his crew (aka Mrs FB, her Sister and the young heir to FB's priceless collection of used cricket bats) decided - or more correctly the crew decided - to drop anchor in a pleasant little cliffl- lined inlet for a spot of lunch.   No problem - a standard drill - head to wind, drop the anchor and fall back on it till it bites.  Parked.  Done it a thousand times.  

The crew adopted action stations (or in the case of son and heir in-action stations).  Mrs FB on the foredeck, anchor chain in hand.  Sis giving stylistic advice as FB put the nose into the wind and cut the engine.   The yacht came to a standstill. Perfect.  'Drop it!' 

Mrs FB let go and the yacht began to drift astern.  Perfect.  FB began to contemplate that cold drink.  The yacht would settle on the anchor.  It would just take a moment.  Just a moment.  The moment became longer.  Not so perfect. 

'Eh, FB,' said Sis with a little tremor in her voice, 'There's a big cliff behind us.  And it's getting closer!'  FB was minded to remonstrate that this could not be - if anything it was the yacht getting closer to the cliff.  But he decided that this might not be the best moment for pedantry.  There was a problem.  The anchor hadn't bitten.

'Haul her up,' he shouted to Mrs FB.  She heaved and hauled.  (Actually she didn't, the yacht had an electric winch which saved her all that shanty type stuff.)  Once it cleared the surface FB would engage the engine and motor away from the danger. 

'Eh, FB,' piped up Sis again, 'Remember that cliff.  It's closer.'

'Is it up?'  

'I can't see it.'  Mrs FB kept heaving and hauling electronically but the anchor didn't break the surface.  The end of the chain did.  Mrs FB duly reported to the skipper.  'The anchor has gone.' 

'What do you mean it's gone?'

'It's not there.'   

This didn't really help FB's understanding.  Visual information proving more effective than verbal, Mrs FB waved the empty end of the chain.  Further discussion seemed unnecessary, FB gunned the engine, the propeller bit and the yacht moved to safety.  Looking over the side, the ship's company could see the anchor lying forlornly on the sea bed.  Full fathom five.

A neighbouring yacht whose sunbathing crew had enjoyed a ring side view of the action, radioed to offer assistance.  A young man with high capacity lungs dived to the anchor attach a warp and - heave away haul away - recover the anchor.   Way, Hey up she rises. Inspection suggested the shackle had failed. A pleasant lunch was had after all.  

A rousing shanty would undoubtedly have helped.  Maybe the singing postman could compose one.