ABSTRACT
From the moment the ship arrived on blue water, everything was in readiness for the first whale, with the blubber tackle rove to the mainmast, and four or five whaleboats slung on davits outside the ship, poised for a quick lowering if the prey was raised. "Ships lower from three to five boats according to their tonnage, and generally carry two or more spare boats in case of an accident," wrote Dr. William Dalton. "The boats are from twenty-five to thirty feet in length and about five or six feet in breadth and sharp at both ends, they are made of light fir or cedar of half an inch in thickness and are clinker built; they pull five oars, each being from sixteen to eighteen feet long, and are steered by an oar of twenty-two feet in length." Equipped with a mast that could be stepped when needed, and a sail to set to it, they were like graceful greyhounds compared to the generally tubby shape of the ship.
