PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Sailors used to sing sea shanties to defuse tension and maintain their sanity amid isolation and cramped quarters on ocean journeys. During the pandemic, shanties are catching a second wind with people who’re feeling the same way while stuck at home. TikTok helped sea shanties go mainstream last month, and the ancient shanty “Wellerman” by the Longest Johns has sailed into the Top 40 chart in the United Kingdom. Geoff Kaufman, who used to direct the Sea Music Festival at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut, said it’s wonderful to see a new generation taking an interest in shanties.
