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Introduction

Modern USN sailors man USS Constitution's port whaleboat in 2009



Whaleboats are double-ended, broad-beamed vessels used in the past as whaling vessels. These boats can utilize both sails and oars for either wind propulsion for minimal effort or rowing for travelling to closer destination. The origins of whaleboats dates back as early as the days of the Vikings, back with the dragon designs in the front (or the supposed front). The vessel was used for hunting whales, though now they are not usually as big as they were in order to fulfill their hunting tasks. Today they are used primarily as open lifeboats on the majority of large ships, though now not as prominent due to the effectiveness of enclosed lifeboats.(source? for all)

Construction

Their(the whale boat's) design takes after those the Vikings used during the 1000’s(specific century?), around the time of(grammar change to that) Beowulf was written and Leif Erickson came to America briefly; in other words(not common maybe use also or this means?), before the Vikings really made their mark on English culture. As a whaling vessel, it fulfilled its purposes for what it went through and its “superior handling characteristics soon made it a popular general-purpose ship’s boat” (whaleboat, 2014). The whaleboat generally is outfitted with a sail post for sailing across seas, but in close proximities, they can use oars for rapid rowing to nearby areas with a large rowing crew. The basics of the whaleboat, for sailing that is, consists of a rudder, main sail, and occasionally a jib. Without the rudder, the boat would have no steering capabilities, and without the sails, the vessel would have no propulsion (assuming there were no oars or a sizable rowing crew to compensate for the lack of propulsion).(dont put in parentheses, make a new sentence) The main sail would catch the wind, which would in turn push the sail, pushing the boat in the process, and the rudder, depending on the direction the person manning it pointed it at, would push the stern of the boat in a certain direction, steering the whaleboat essentially. The rudder consists of basically two parts: the part that sticks in the water in order to give thrust, and the part the coxswain, or the person steering, holds onto in order to push or pull the first part. The jib sail is a significantly smaller sail that serves to help steer and propel the boat forward as well. By catching the wind at a specific angle, the sail can either double as a second main sail catching the wind, or help by adding “better close-hauled sailing and of setting extra sail with comparatively little labor demand” (jib (sail), 2014).

Whaling

Whaleboats became prevalent in ancient Inuit and Yupik culture when trade and other forms of nutrition were sparse. Whaleboats gave them a means of travelling to distant places in order to obtain resources. Natives had to gather sustenance(what is this?), generally large fish such as whales, when at all possible, from the sea. Whaleboats were not always taken out to sea to hunt whales, but they could also be used to transport dead whales that they had scavenged from the shallow waters. Large baleen whales and bowheads(maybe link to what they are) became their main export to Europe and the Americas, which in turn would help in revitalizing the trade in their region, an area that ranged from the Bering-Chukchi Sea to eastern Arctic (Vincent, 55).

Norwegians began to dominate whaling when they turned it into a full-blown industry in 1904. They were more skilled and had better techniques than other civilizations around this same time period. The Norwegians had very efficient gunners (men who fired the weapons), the technology of the Svend Foyn gun(internal link) and the grenade harpoon, and they utilized the powered whale catcher. Although all these factors were effective and sped trade, the demand of oil was its own issue. Whales were mainly used for their fat that was melted to oilmaybe talk about this process. The Norwegians had a systemtalk about the system in place and partnered with the British to profit. The simple whale boat received a number of modifications throughout this periodexpand on the modifications. What was once a simple single hull, open boat became a body of new technologies to make whaling more efficient. Changes like the use of radar and radio instead of a lookout and new handling tools. (Tonneson and Johnson, 798)

Modern Applications

Today whale boats are used as safety vessels aboard marine vessels. The United States Coast Guard(internal link) has been using them since 1791why does the USCG use them?. Their simple open structure allows for easy access and personnel loading in the event of an emergency. These whaleboats are now considered very important, and highly regimented safety vessels. Boats must include a hatchet, lifeboat compass, lifeboat sea anchor, emergency signal mirror, emergency drinking water, lifeboat first aid kit, jack knife with can opener, lifeboat bilge pump,and emergency provisions. Pictured here: Whale boat called a “Monomoy”(internal link) in use by students of the California Maritime Academy practicing emergency drills.

References

  • Johan Nicolay Tønnessen, Arne Odd Johnsen. (1982). The History of Modern Whaling. University of California Press
  • Vincent, M. (1998). Ancient whaler. Canadian Geographic, 118(7), 55.
  • Vincent, M. (1998). Ancient whaler. Canadian Geographic, 118(7), 55.
  • WHITRIDGE, P. (1999). The prehistory of inuit and yupik whale use. Revista De Arqueología Americana, 99-154.
  • Dow, George Francis. (1985). Whale Ships and Whaling. Dover Publications
  • Johan Nicolay Tønnessen, Arne Odd Johnsen. (1982). The History of Modern Whaling. University of California Press

* United States Coast Guard. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, (2013). Lifeboat history. Retrieved from USCG website: http://www.uscg.mil/d1/stachatham/Lifeboat History.asp

Notes

Check on parts to source. Not all said everyone knows.

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