HardTackers: A decade-long journey of seafaring lore
The miles between Ohio and the high seas haven’t stopped the HardTackers from following the lure of sea shanty lore. STORY AND PHOTO BY JAMIE RHEIN
O
hio is the only state in the union with a burgee flag — a shape usually associated with a boating organization. The flag commemorates Ohio’s water transportation history: the miles of Lake Erie shoreline, the Ohio River, and the waterways and onceextensive network of canals in between.
of the call-and-response style of shanty songs helped the crew push and pull, hoisting sails and hauling lines in a synchronized effort. Often adapted from familiar folk tunes and ballads of the day, shanty lyrics were flavored with nautical terms and names of places the sailors had been — or hoped to see.
So a crew of sea-shanty-singing Midwesterners isn’t as out of place as it might first appear; Ohio has plenty of wet to sing about.
A HardTackers performance is a rollicking, participatory trip through seafaring time. With each member taking turns as the boisterous lead, the Tackers nimbly belt out a repertoire that includes the familiar “Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal,” as well as songs like “The Bonny Ship The Diamond,” about the lure of quick riches to whaling crews who dream of “bonny lassies.” Then there’s “Whiskey Johnny,” a cheery-sounding cautionary tale about the dangers of drunkenness — all peppered with jokes and puns and a mini-history about their origins.
Enter the HardTackers. With their mastery of maritime know-how and their banter-filled harmonizing, the ensemble has entertained at festivals and other events in the U.S. and Canada for a decade. Shanties date to the mid-1400s era of tall ships, when sailors’ work was grueling and labor-intensive. The rhythms
34 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2021
