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Barks
and Brigs, Ships and Schooners
Floating factory
The Yankee whaler was a highly evolved vessel that incorporated
a variety of technological details that served to distinguish
it from any other type of craft. It was designed to carry a large
crew of men (up to 35 individuals) who would process and store
materials obtained in the hunt over a period of years. Here it
must be said that not all whalers were built for the purpose of
whaling. Many were converted to whaling from their previous uses
in the merchant service. All whalers, regardless of previous use
had various details making them unique. The most conspicuous feature
was the brick furnace called the try works located just behind
the foremast. Whalers also had three to five whaleboats hanging
from big wooden davits on both sides of the vessel; two upside-down
spare boats sitting atop a wooden frame mounted on the deck, and
a deep and capacious hold where the large casks of oil could be
stored. At sea a whaler could be distinguished by its slow speed,
possibly a plume of smoke rising from the try-works and the men
stationed at the top of each mast looking out for whales. While
cutting-in a whale the large and heavy industrial-grade blocks
and the men standing on boards over the side of the vessels wielding
long-handled spades and the large group of men in the bow of the
vessel heaving at the windlass marked the ship as a whaler. Many
whalers were painted with false gun ports for purposes of disguise
and intimidation from a distance. This painting scheme could deter
pirates on the high seas or hostile peoples encountered at the
many remote landfalls commonly frequented by these vessels. The
average square-rigged whaleship was about 100 feet long and 300
tons carrying capacity. (see illustration below, "Cutting
in a Whale")
Types of whaleship rigs
Ship
This type of vessel has three masts, each with topmast and topgallant
mast and square-rigged on all three masts. Ships often carried
four boats, sometimes five and had the largest number of crew.
There were six men per boat plus the ship-keepers, men who stayed
aboard the work the vessel when the boats were down after whales.
Shipkeepers included the steward, cook, cooper, blacksmith or
carpenter. There could be as many as 37 people on board a ship.
Pencil and watercolor on paper by Joseph Bogart
Hersey, American (fl. ca, 1843-51), [Ship Corinthian of New London],
from Hersey;’s journal aboard the bark Samuel and Thomas
of Provincetown, MA, John Swift master, September 12, 1846-April
13, 1848. KWM #364.
Barks
Very similar to a ship rig in that it was a sailing vessel with
three masts, square-rigged on the fore and main masts and fore-and-aft
rigged on the mizzenmast. This rig became very popular in the
mid-19th century as it required fewer crew to handle the sails
when the boats were down for whales, thus saving the owners money.
See the Museum's half-scale
model of the Bark Lagoda.
Pencil and watercolor on paper by Joseph Bogart Hersey, American
(fl. ca, 1843-51), "Cutting in a whale" [Bark Samuel
and Thomas of Provincetown], from Hersey’s journal aboard
the bark Samuel and Thomas of Provincetown, MA, John Swift master,
September 12, 1846-April 13, 1848. KWM #364.
Brigs
The true brig is a two-masted vessel square-rigged on both fore
and main masts. Brigs were most often employed in shorter voyages
to the Atlantic Ocean and saw use throughout the 19th century.
Illustration below
Pencil and watercolor Pencil and watercolor on paper by Joseph
Bogart Hersey, American (fl. ca, 1843-51), [Brig Franklin of Provincetown],
from Hersey’s journal aboard the bark Samuel and Thomas of
Provincetown, MA, John Swift master, September 12, 1846-April
13, 1848. KWM #364.
Schooners
The schooner was the smallest of the whalers, usually with two
masts and four-and-aft rigged sails and carrying two or three
whaleboats. Six months was the ordinary length of voyage and most
schooners were employed in the Atlantic. Although the schooner
was employed throughout the history of Yankee whaling it was especially
favored in the later period (1890-1925), because it was economical
to outfit.
Pencil and watercolor on paper by Joseph Bogart Hersey, American
(fl. ca, 1843-51), [Schooner H.N. Williams of Provincetown], from
Hersey’s journal aboard the bark Samuel and Thomas of Provincetown,
MA, John Swift master, September 12, 1846-April 13, 1848. KWM
#364
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