The Black Ball Line was founded by a group of Quakers in 1818. It was the first line to take passengers on a regular basis, sailing from New York, Boston and Philadelphia on the first and sixteenth of each month. The Blackball flag was a crimson swallow-tail flag with a black ball. The ships were famous for their fast passage and excellent seamanship. However, they were also famed for their fighting mates and the brutal treatment of seamen. (Western Ocean seamen were called "Packet Rats"). Many ships bore the name "bloodboat". Most of the seamen hailed from New York or were Liverpool-Irish. By 1880 the sailing ships were being replaced by steamers and the packets entered other trades or were sold.

The Exmouth Shanty Men are proud to be associated with