A port-broadside view of a whaleships in the moment of hauling up whaleboats after an unsuccessful search or chase after a whale. When a lookout aboard the ship spotted a whale, crewmen lowered small boats over the side and rowed toward the whale's direction. The whaleboat could hold a crew of six men, and it was crowded with gear. They carried harpooning instruments such as rope, lances, and spade and basic survival gear such as a sail, compass, foghorn, and drinking water in case they were separated from the mother ship.
"Presumably after an unsuccessful search, the whaler's captain tried to make the best of an unprofitable cruise and an example this story has been told. On reaching port a certain captain was asked what luck he had. His cheerful reply was: 'Well we captured no whales, but we had a damn good sail.'"
See Allan Forbes, Whale Ships and Whaling Scenes as Portrayed by Benjamin Russell. Presenting Reproductions in Color of the Paintings of the Foremost Artist in That Field (Boston: Printed for the Second Bank-State Street Trust Co, 1955), 76.
