Extreme comments from logs. Weather, ice, seas

[AvastMH]

We've been asked to collect any extreme comments about the weather, ice, seas from the logs.
Please state the:
- Ship's name
- Date of the report
- URL link for the log page
- A transcription of the comment
- Optional - an image of the text

Thank you

[AvastMH]

Reserved

[AvastMH]

The Belvedere 1897 (ODHS spool 545)
'this is the heaviest gale I ever passed through'



In fact it's such a tough time that he misses entries and (by the looks of it) is not even sure of the date at one point.
Monday March 30th 1897 (Monday was actually the 29th March which is faintly visible)
'Commenced with strong gales from E [...] under topsails + Foresail Middle Part strong gale NE [...] parted main t gallant sheets both clewlines and both buntlines lost 2 quarter boats Latter Part wind hauled to N took in foresail and fore topsail and hove to this is the heaviest gale I ever passed through Barometer 28+7ths carried away smoke stack'

The next entry is Thursday 30th March 1897 (it was quite likely the 30th March)
Commenced with heavy gale from N ship hove to Port tack at 7 PM carried away jibboom lost all the gear and Jib + Flying Jib Middle Part more moderate heavy sea running Latter Part same

This logbook has a twin, Belvedere ODHS spool 222.
Spool 222 logbook notes another worrying problem on March 28th 1897
April 7th 1897: 'Leaking bad Pumps choked with coal'
This log also clarifies Tuesday 30th March: '7 PM lost Gib Boom'. On the 31st the 'water gaining some all pumps choked with coal allmost put out the fires'

All in all I'm sure that they were relieved to get into Dutch Harbor on April 8th 1897.

[arboggs]

Should we just post them as we find them now or do we need to retroactively go through previously transcribed logs and upload those comments as well?

[AvastMH]

Good point April! If you happen to remember some then please do post them, certainly post them as you find them. I've got one stuck in my head that ended 'Worst journey ever, not going to sea again' and I'm hoping to track that one down. I will also dig out the end of John Carver which was the polar opposite
If you can bear to do a quick trawl that would be kind

[AvastMH]

California KWM 8th August 1895

It's easy to post the worst situations, but this time around it seems that the California needs to get a move one...
'...middle part wind moderating set everything [...] latter part [...] heading N by E Every stitch on her'



and that's a lot of sail

[AvastMH]

The Beluga at Baillie Islands ('Bailey' in the log) overwintering for her second successive year, 11th January 1899

Heaviest gale of the season from NE with snow cant see anything at all



Which makes a fun entry into the transcription visibility column.

[AvastMH]

The heavy seasons have not yet abandoned Captain Bodfish and the Beluga: March 17th 1899 (still at Baillie Islands of course)

'Heavy gale with snow ECE Heaviest of season cant go out'

[AvastMH]

The Navarch voyage of 1892-1893 has bad weather for a spell
She reports gales from the 8th October 1893, frequently with snow storms,
on the 8th, 10th, 12th early (when they lost their starboard whaling boat), 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th. The 16th was the worst with the loss of the Bow boat, other boats were stove in, during a heavy gale with a thick blizzard of snow. On the 17th she reports the ship being badly iced up.
And on the 18th he makes one comment boldly to start his report 'We are still here'

Interestingly he takes an Obs from the Pole Star at that date too - 70N



At the end of this journey there was a small entry at the end of the voyage as Capt Whiteside started his land voyage home from San Francisco on the 27th November 1897...
'At 10 AM went ashore for good'

[Michael]

That's not too surprising!

[AvastMH]

[AvastMH]

I'm pretty sure that this is the lowest temperature that I've seen recorded on OWW, well certainly in this set of ships' logs, and so far.

Navarch Voyage of 1893-1896 on their second winter in the Arctic. They are at Herschel Island on the Canadian Yukon coast. And just 4 days before several crew from Navarch and ships around deserted.

'thr 55 Deg blow zero'



Pass me my thermals!

[AvastMH]

The Hunter, 1893.
1893, September 13th

It's had a lot of fog, a lot of sea ice, and virtually no whales. The Captain is suffering from a fog of rum. The logkeeper notes a very bad day

'Bark steering by The wind all day. Employed in ships duty doing nothing Saw nine sails and The pack. and this Beats all The fogs i ever see. The ship looks as if it had been snowing all day. And every rope is as large as your arm And cold. The water is nothing but smoke And not a whale to be seen.'

[Michael]

Wow!!!

[AvastMH]

The Narwhal 1894
1894, October 5th at daylight

'I hove to at 7 AM I lost the starboard boat with everything in her One davit and bearer and 1 crane this settles the Right whaling with me I am bound for San Francisco just as fast as I can get along'

She then soon heads into a bad storm just below Ounimak Pass at 47degs 33mins N and 148degs 46mins W
1894, October 13th

'put the ship under storm sails and lay on the port tack. glass still falling and a nasty cross sea running I let her lay on this tack until the sea got to running more with the wind then wore ship glass on 28.50 and still falling I think it is blowing as hard as I have ever seen it blow in the Pacific Ocean'

[Michael]

Wow!!!