CapeLinks Cape Cod Massachusetts MA
Welcome to CapeLinks, a community website focused on Cape Cod and the Islands of Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard. Please register to participate.
All | Articles | Maps | Weather | News | Photos | Lodging Guide | Summer Rentals | Classifieds Listgot something to add to CapeLinks? post it here ♦ have a Cape Cod question? ask it here
Capturing A Whale
When the spout of a whale was sighted, there was heard the famous cry of the lookout man: “Thar’ she blows!” Sails were trimmed according to distance, and the ship made to head as directly as possible towards the prey.
When she was about a mile away, she dropped anchor, and the whale boats were lowered. If the whale had gone under, each boat took the station where they thought he might come up. The unpredictable habits of the Sperm Whale made it a baffling situation. When the whale did come up, the harpooner let him have it.
The iron harpoons were fastened to a line three hundred fathoms long (300 x 6 feet per fathom = 1800 feet), and coiled in a tub. If the harpoon hit right, the whale would die in a few minutes. But the irons were not intended to kill so much as they were to fasten the whale to the whaling skiff. If the whale was not injured badly by the harpoon, it would pull the whale boat. What often ensued was called the “Nantucket Sleighride” with the skiff often being pulled by the whale for miles.
Lances were used for the killing. Lances with a three-foot shank, fixed to an eight foot pole. They could be darted six or eight fathoms. Or they could be used for close-up work, and the whale stabbed at arm’s length.
What do you think about Capturing A Whale? Leave a comment
• tell-a-friend • link to this post
 |
Posted by capelinks - (website) on 10/13/06
Categories: History
Keywords: history, whaling
• view all posts by capelinks •
Become a registered member and post an article, blog, classified, summer rental, upload images, voice your opinion, or review something on Cape Cod.
|
(advertise here keyword: featured) |
Comments:
No comments yet.leave a comment
Related Posts: are tagged with history, whaling
- Samuel de Champlain Was Here
- Traces of the Indians
- Captain Kidd Was Here
- Cape Cod Cemeteries Map
- Neither Traveling Nor Amusement on Sundays
<< What Is Cape Cod Made Up Of? | Take Route 6A To See Old Cape Cod >>
Leave a Comment:
Read More About Cape Cod
