Sing Sea Chanteys In San Francisco
For some silly reason, on September 19th of each year, we celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day. This is where people in offices say things like "arrr," "ahoy," "matey," and perhaps even "wenches" in the more lax environments. It is a garbage holiday, not least of which is due to it being horribly inaccurate.
While pirates didn't go around saying things like "shiver me timbers," they did sing a whole bunch of songs called sea chanteys. Part of this was to lift their spirits, but part of it was also to help them with their duties aboard ships:
During the golden age of chanteying, 1840-1860, the work songs of sailors were used aboard ship to help coordinate shipboard jobs. Jobs such as hauling on lines to raise sails, turning the capstan (an iron winch) to weigh (raise) anchor and manning the ship's pumps required sailors to work together in rhythm.
The National Park Service holds a public Chantey Sing on an old historic ship (the specific ship changes throughout the year) at the Maritime National Historic Park on Hyde Street Pier. The sing-a-long goes from 8 p.m. to midnight and is free. Make sure to bring a mug for complimentary apple cider. Speaking from experience, it is simply one heck of a fun, weird time. Just make sure to make a reservation, as the event does book up.
