Heaving Shanty

What kind of heaving shanties exists?

Stan Hugill gives us an explanation of the types of shanties. So he gives us two main types of shanties, hauling and heaving shanties, in this page, we talk about Heaving Shanties.

Here are the types of Heaving Shanty

(A) – Main Capstan or windlass songs (for heaving the anchor).

Correctness of naming Capstan Shanty category

The category “Capstan Shanty”, as mentioned in a comment on this page by Professor Gibb Sheffler, is not very clear and I do agree. He points out the fact that: Sometimes the song has specific features that make it especially good for capstan or windlass, other times, the only thing that someone like Stan Hugill means by “capstan shanty” is that someone sang the song while working on the capstan. We can sing “Sally Brown” equally at halyards, windlass, or capstan. We can sing “Rio Grande”, however, only at the windlass or capstan because it has a “grand chorus” that fills extra time. Although still very imperfect, rather than “capstan shanty” and “windlass shanty,” a better category might be “heaving shanty” (covering both capstan and lever windlass, the two “heaving” jobs).

On the sailing ship, For the raise an anchor there were two types of devices for raising the anchor:

First, the older one that sailors used to raise an anchor was the levers windlass (Brake Windlass) …

Work in the same way as old type levers pump, the difference in terms of the shanties was the movement was different and have a middle step, in the waist level (horizontal position level of the levers).

So full cycle from point of view of the one site was arms down on the deck (feet), next tempo on the waist level, next up as possible arms upon to the sky, and back on the waist, the cycle closed on arms on deck again.

capstan-shanty leaver windlass

Here is one example of the windlass capstan in action. This fantastic example happens in Mystic Seaport Museum. The heaving anchor operation has placed on the last surviving whaling ship Charles W. Morgan.

“Mister Stormalong” at the windlass of CHARLES W. MORGAN

Worth noting is the fact it used “Mister Stormalong” shanty as a helping tool, exactly how it was happening in old times, the shantyman is one of the most knowledgeable people about sea shanties, Professor Gibb Sheffler, who like only one person in whole the world recorded all songs from the Stan Hugill book – “The Shanties From The Seven Seas” (over 400 songs!).

Index Of The Brake Windlass Shanty

  1. As Off to The South’ard We Go
  2. Bound for the Rio Grande (Cecil Sharp Version)
  3. Et Nous Irons a Valparaiso (French)
  4. Heave Away Me Johnnies A
  5. Heave Away Me Johnnies C
  6. In Cam’eltoon Once More
  7. Jinny
  8. Poor Lucy Anna
  9. The Holly Ground Once More
  10. The Shaver

The second type is the main capstan shanty for heaving an anchor…

From the horizontal form of anchor windlass, the capstan evolves into the vertical drum or barrel, with horizontal spars (called capstan bars) which have been pushed by sailors, so the twisted rope on the barrel was pulled by the force of the capstan, and this way they can walk around the capstan and heave the line or chain.

capstan-shanty barell capstan

Index Of The Capstan Shanty

  1. A Long Time Ago (C)
  2. Across The Western Ocean ( I )
  3. Ane Madam – Trøndelag Version (Norwegian)
  4. As I Went A-Walking Down Ratcliffe Highway
  5. Baltimore
  6. Banks Of Sacramento – Patterson Capstan version
  7. Billy Boy A
  8. Billy Boy B
  9. Blow. Ye Winds (A)
  10. Blow Ye Winds (B)
  11. Blow Ye Winds (extra verses)
  12. Blow ye winds of morning
  13. Blow The Wind Wester. – First Version
  14. Blow The Wind Wester. – Second Version
  15. Bound for the Rio Grande (R. R. Terry’s Version)
  16. Bound To California
  17. California
  18. Der Hamborger Veermaster (German)
  19. Dixie
  20. Doodle Let Me Go
  21. Good Mornin Ladies All A
  22. Goodbye Fare-ye-well (A)
  23. Goodbye Fare-ye-well (B)
  24. Goodbye Fare-ye-well (C)
  25. Goodbye Fare-ye-well (D)
  26. Goodbye Fare-ye-well (Norwegian)
  27. Goodbye Fare-ye-well (odd verses collection)
  28. Goodnight Ladies
  29. Halarvisa
  30. Haul The Bowline B
  31. Heave Away – Colcord
  32. Heave Away Me Johnnies B
  33. Heisevise – Wergland version (Norwegian)
  34. Hieland Laddie (A)
  35. High Barbaree – Fuller
  36. Hog-eye Man – Bullen
  37. Hooker John (Harding)
  38. Horraw For The Blackball Line
  39. Horraw For The Blackball Line (Liverpool Jacks Tune)
  40. Horraw For The Blackball Line (solo variations)
  41. Hurrah Hurrah Hurrah!
  42. Jamboree (Whall)
  43. John Browns Body
  44. Johnny Come Down To Hilo
  45. Knock A Man Down
  46. La Margot
  47. Larry Marr
  48. Le Grand Coureur
  49. Leave her Johnny Leave Her – Capstan
  50. Magelhan (German)
  51. Magelhan Orginal (German)
  52. Miss Lucy Long
  53. Mochyn Du
  54. Mother Carey’s
  55. My Bonnie Highland Lassie-O
  56. O Johnny Come To Hilo – Cecil Sharp
  57. O Whos Been Here – Cecil Sharp
  58. Off To The Southard Well Go
  59. Ooker John
  60. Old Moke Pickin On The Banjo
  61. Opsang For Brasiliefareren, Briggen Preciosa (Norwegian)
  62. Paddy Get Back – Dick Maitland
  63. Paddy Lay Back
  64. Paddy Mustert An
  65. Paddy Signs On
  66. Passant Par Paris
  67. Pretoria
  68. Randy Dandy O!
  69. Rio Grande (A. Connan Doyle version)
  70. Rio Grande – Norvegian sailor version
  71. Rio Grande (A)
  72. Rio Grande (B)
  73. Rio Grande (C) – (Patterson version)
  74. Rio Grande (D)
  75. Rio Grande (E)
  76. Rio Grande (F)
  77. River Shenandore – L. A. Smith Version
  78. Roll And Go
  79. Roll The Cotton Down (C) – Capstan Version
  80. Roll The Woodpile Down – capstan
  81. Roller Bowler – Liverpool Version
  82. Roller Bowler – Trinidad Version
  83. Rolling King
  84. Rolling Home A
  85. Rolling Home B
  86. Rolling Home By The Silver Moon
  87. Rosabella Fredolin (Swedish)
  88. Round The Bay Of Mexico
  89. Sacramento (A)
  90. Sacramento (B)
  91. Sacramento (C)
  92. Sacramento (D)
  93. Sacramento – Norvegian English worded version
  94. Sacramento – Version from German barque Gustav
  95. Sally Brown (A)
  96. Sally Brown (A2)
  97. Sally Brown (A – Stanley Slade version)
  98. Sally Brown (A – Dick Maitland version)
  99. Sally Brown (C)
  100. Samuel Hall
  101. Santiana D (Norwegian)
  102. Santiana (D) (Norvegian – English Translation)
  103. Santy Anna (Terry’s Version)
  104. Seafarers
  105. Sebastopol
  106. Shenandoah A
  107. Shenandoah B
  108. Shenandoah – Bullen
  109. Shenandoah C
  110. Shenandoah D
  111. Sing Sally O! (version A)
  112. South Australia (Doerflinger Version)
  113. South Australia (Harlow version)
  114. South Australia – L. A. Smith Version
  115. Southern Ladies
  116. Spanish Ladies A
  117. Spanish Ladies B
  118. Supen Ut En Dram På Man
  119. Ten Stone
  120. The Banks O Newfnland
  121. The Codfish Shanty
  122. The Fishes A
  123. The Fishes B
  124. The Gals O’ Chile
  125. The Gals O’ Dublin Town (B)
  126. The Hawks-Eye Man (Bolton)
  127. The Hog-eye Man
  128. The Hog-eyed Man – Cecil Sharp
  129. The Liverpool Judies A
  130. The Liverpool Judies B
  131. The Liverpool Judies C
  132. The Lowlands Low (A)
  133. The Lowlands Low (B)
  134. The New York Gals
  135. Ved Ankerhioning (Norvegian)
  136. Were All Bound To Go – Davis And Tozer
  137. Were All Bound To Go – Sampson
  138. Whip Jamboree (Sharp)
  139. Whoop Jamboree (Terry)
  140. Yeo Heave Ho!
  141. Yo Heave Ho! – Smith

(B) – Capstan songs (for hoisting sails, etc., by ‘mechanical’ means, and warping in out of dock).

(C) – Pump Shanties.

Because of the number of Pump shanties, I kept them on another page: Pump Shanty.

(D) – Capstan Shanties used at Halyard Winch

Index Of The Capstan Shanties used at Halyard Winch

  1. Away Susanna!
  2. Cant Ye Dance The Polka B
  3. Cant You Dance The Polka (C F Smith version)
  4. Old Swansea Town Once More ( A )

My private collection of books

Shantyman library –  you will see descriptions and recommendations of positions worth diving into, true sources of knowledge about sea shanties. To gain knowledge about sea shanties is the main ultimate purpose of this library, every book in this library is somehow related to sea shanties and before mast songs.

More involvement in Traditional Sea Shanties

You can find this record here or directly listen below. If you want to discuss the record or share your opinion you can do it in my Facebook forum here.