Moby Dick

[zahc]

I'm re-reading this. It's a terribly tedious read, but it's worth it because of the whaling. It's really amazing that whaling was a whole industry for decades.

What's confusing me is that I don't have any reference for the boats and the whole sailing thing. When the book was written in the 19th century, I'm sure that the audience understood a lot about sailing that I don't. For one thing, I can't picture the whaling ship. I have no idea what it would have looked like or how big it was. How many decks or masts or sails. How it was steered. How far it was from the deck to the water. I mean, how am I supposed to know what a 19th century whaling ship looked like? Is there somewhere in the US where they have replica ships of different types, or are these kinds of boats just totally lost to history? It would be cool to be able to walk on one. Any books about sailing/whaling/battle/commercial ships?

Plus, I don't know how they ate. They talk about 'bread and beef' but how did they keep it from spoiling for months/years at a time? What did they do about freshwater? What were rations like on a whaling ship?

[Nitrogen]

There's the New Bedford Whaling museum in MA.  Never been, but heard about it.

Sailing is actually pretty cool.

basically, imagine squeezing a bar of soap in your hands, and watching it shoot out.  That's the very basics of sailing, using the wind and the water itself to simulate your hands squeezing soap (that's why sailing ships usually have keels)

There's fascinating history on maritime history; I'll go through my book collection later on and recommend some titles if you really want to get into it.

And today I learned something, trying to find some decent information about how food was preserved for you to read:
Did you know that scurvy was cured in 1747, then forgotten by the early 20th century, only to be re-remembered?

http://idlewords.com/2010/03/scott_and_scurvy.htm

this was a fascinating read, only very tangentially related btw...

[Perd Hapley]

I would also like recommendations on an edition of Moby Dick with good annotations. I bought one with a lot of footnotes, but that turned out to be just the editor trying to prove that Moby Dick was all about homo-eroticism. Please. If I wanted that kind of Melville, I would just read Billy Budd again.

[TommyGunn]

Google Mystic Seaport they might have some ggod photos of the museum there.  There's old whalers there that are preserved.  Mystic is in Connecticut, so if you are nearby you can get there on Rt. 95.

As far as foods if they had beef or other meats the most common preservative was salt.  

http://www.mysticseaport.org/

There's a link to a website that might help.

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

I bought one with a lot of footnotes, but that turned out to be just the editor trying to prove that Moby Dick was all about homo-eroticism. Please. If I wanted that kind of Melville, I would just read Billy Budd again.

Just read Mabs' Moby Dick fan fiction. It's in the "slash" section.

[Perd Hapley]

Plus, I don't know how they ate. They talk about 'bread and beef' but how did they keep it from spoiling for months/years at a time? What did they do about freshwater? What were rations like on a whaling ship?

From what I've read, they brought casks of fresh water with them, and refilled whenever they had a chance. I don't know what to tell you about beef. I thought salt pork was the usual meat, but I suppose beef would be a step above that. Flour was probably kept in much the same way as it has been throughout history. Just try to keep it dry.

They had ways of re-stocking on foodstuffs. They stopped at islands to cut new masts and shoot meat, and find water inland. They probably traded for grain/flour at various points around the globe.

[Tallpine]

They had ways of re-stocking on foodstuffs. They stopped at islands to cut new masts and shoot meat, and find water inland. They probably traded for grain/flour at various points around the globe.

The cold coast of Greenland is barren and bare,
No seed time nor harvest is ever known there.

[makattak]

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Sea-Tragedy-Whaleship-Essex/dp/0141001828#_

It's a modern account of the story that inspired Moby Dick.

Includes good details about whaling and whaling ships as well.

[MechAg94]

From what I've read, they brought casks of fresh water with them, and refilled whenever they had a chance. I don't know what to tell you about beef. I thought salt pork was the usual meat, but I suppose beef would be a step above that. Flour was probably kept in much the same way as it has been throughout history. Just try to keep it dry.

They had ways of re-stocking on foodstuffs. They stopped at islands to cut new masts and shoot meat, and find water inland. They probably traded for grain/flour at various points around the globe.

My understanding is that wooden water casks don't last more than a few weeks before stuff is growing in them.  I thought the Rum ration came in there as Rum will last longer than water.  I also thought the British Navy also gave a daily ration of lime juice to prevent scurvy, but I don't know when they started that. 

I remember hearing that the Brits and others released pigs and goats and such on many of the islands and locations they visited to provide a source of meat when they or other ships came later.