Ships, Folk Art, and Whimsey in Bottles

Around 1850 there were about 700 to 900 such ships, which killed about 10,000 whales in good years. On an average American whaler in the 19th century drove about 20 to 30 men. The ships, including reserves, carried up to six boats. Typically, three to four boats were manned at the same time, each manned by six sailors. As a ship's guard, only one or two men were left behind during the hunt. Even the ship's cook or ship's carpenter had to get into the boats to hunt and row. The bacon of the captured whales was already overcooked on the ship to Tran and bottled in barrels. A normal fishing trip took about two to four years depending on the yield and shelf life of the supplies.