Old Weather Forum

The ice sections of the voyage of the Hunter from 26 Dec 1882 and ending on 10 Nov 1883 have been completed. Thank you all!

Once all ice sections of the log list have been completed we will return to the non-ice sections.

You can find more ships in this listing: Find your ship, & the full list of ships logbooks for OWW Your help will be very much appreciated. If you need help in choosing a journey please do leave message here or contact AvastMH.

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The basic principle of OldWeather Whaling....
The reason for this project is that it is very hard to automatically sort the navigation and ice (and other specific items) from blocks of text in the hand-written log books. Having those details pulled out and associated by line with date/time/position and page url offers the most effective means of turning text into actionable data that can be sorted in all kinds of ways.


If you have a doubt about an entry you can always come back to this principle, and/or ask for help in this Shipyard page.

Additional information found can typically include the following which are entered on the remarks worksheet.
natural phenomena (volcanoes, kelp, sun spots, auroras)

• the names of other ships seen or visited and which must be recorded
• crew names
• reports of ice from other ships
• whaling details
• other animals seen

Where to start then?

• Transcribing: capturing the log details, and information resources which is a 'must read' before you start transcribing
• Transcribing: managing your recording workbook

Have fun while you work and please do enjoy the help that is always available here from the moderators, in fact from everyone. And do also feel welcome to join in some of the lighter hearted side of OldWeather in the forum found in the Dockside Cafe under Shore Leave.

You will also bump into the OldWeather Arctic project which also extracts weather and ice details from the ships of the US Navy and Coast Guard. Your help with OldWeather Arctic would also be most welcome!

The ice sections of the voyage of the Lucretia from Dec 11th 1883 and ending on Nov 4th 1884 have been completed. Thank you all!

Once all ice sections of the log list have been completed we will return to the non-ice sections.

You can find more ships in this listing: Find your ship, & the full list of ships logbooks for OWW Your help will be very much appreciated. If you need help in choosing a journey please do leave message here or contact AvastMH.

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Welcome on board the Hunter's voyage 26 Dec 1882 - 10 Nov 1883
Lucretia (Steam Bark) of New Bedford, mastered by Edward Kelly, later Robert P. Gifford. Henry B. Chase, Keeper
Bark of San Francisco, Calif., mastered by Albert C. Sherman, kept by Albert C. Sherman

Here you will find an example transcription of details
This is also a place to ask questions and request help with oddities in the log
You can bring the ship to life by sharing interesting finds from the log pages and other information about the ship

General help with marking and transcribing whaling logs
Weather and ice records from the whaling ships of the USA which contains the following 'must read' topics...

• START HERE. General outline, the project and how to help
• Transcribing: capturing the log details, and information resources
• Transcribing: managing your recording workbook

Tip: use ctrl+Pgup or ctrl+PgDn to quickly swap between the different worksheets as you move through start, primary, weather, and remarks worksheets to record your findings

Treasure trove of information in the Library
Over the years this forum has accumulated a broad spectrum of detailed information which is kept in the Library
Please do take time to visit the Library because it will afford you a great deal of help. However, do feel welcome to ask questions at any time.

Help with images

• If you want to query some text please supply the page reference (the reference changes as you view the middle of a page), and an image of the text if you wish. Help for manipulating/posting images can be found in Posting Links and Images (A Guide). If you have any problems with imaging this is the board to post that question.
• Accessing pale images. The example page used below, opened through the 'Irfan' program, 'color correction' and adjust the brightness, saturation, and gamma correction. You may have your own program for adjusting brightness and contrast. Here are the before and after images using Irfan. Click to see them at full size.
  

To find the shipyard pages for other whalers
Link: Find your ship, & the full list of ships logbooks for OWW


Select 'view single page':
When the log book image opens you will see two pages. It is easier to read the details accessing one page at a time. Use the icons at the bottom of the screen:


You can walk through the log pages in chronological order. All you have to do is increment the number at the end of the link: page/2, page/3, page/4 etc.

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Here is a log page that has been transcribed to help you to be familiar with the writing. The image has been adjusted (see directions above).
June 20th to June 24th 1883


A C Sherman Master

Wedns June 20thBegins with a fresh breeze from
the N.N.W. Ship working up the
west shore towards Cape Serdze
"Helen Mar" "Gazelle" and "Coral" insight
Lots of Devil Fish insight
7 P.M. saw the ice to windward


Thurs June 21stBegins with a light air from the N.W.
Ship working to windward
4 Ships insight working the same
At noon the wind hauled to N.N.E.
P.M. saw an old carcass. 7 P.M. wind
blowing a fresh breeze from the N. Ship on
the eastern tack Lat 67.24 N.
Long 170.49 W.

Fri June 22ndBegins with a strong breeze from the N.N.E.
Ship by the wind on the eastern tack
"Helen Mar" "Gazelle" and "Eliza" insight
"H.M" and "Gazelle" run off out of sight
At noon saw the land on the east shore
Cape Thompson. also saw some walrus
working to the north. P.M. Blowing a
a moderate gale with thick fog. Ship on
short sail Lat 67.23 N.
Long 167.04 W.

Sat June 23rdBegins with a moderate gale from
the N. Ship on the western tack
thick foggy weather
P.M. weather moderated and cleared up
made sail and stood to the N.
wind from the W.N.W

Sun June 24thBegins with a light breeze from the W.N.W.
Ship heading S.W. by the wind on the S tack
"Helen Mar" "Atlantic " and Stmr "Belvedere" insight
I gamed with the "Atlantic" weather thick
with fog and snow squalls all day.
P.M. wind hauled to the S.E. Ships heading
by the wind on the port tack.
11 P.M. wind hauled to the S.S.W. Ship heading W.

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Here is a transcription of the above log page. Click on the worksheet images below to see them at full size

Start worksheet (top section)
If you discover any metadata in the logbook please enter it on this page. Metadata means 'data about data', barometer readings or temperature readings. See under 'Weather' at rows 32 and 33. For example, if you see that the temperature is in Celsius or Centigrade, that fact should be transcribed as metadata.

Click on the worksheet images below to see them at full size.



Primary worksheet


Weather worksheet


Remarks worksheet


Notes
'Civil Time' is noted, enter this on the START Sheet by 'Notes:' (highlighted in yellow):

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Here's a link back to the list of Hunter's Log Pages for Transcribing - apply here!.

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The remainder of this topic is for you. Ask questions and share interesting discoveries with us to make these logs live.

The Whaling Bark Hunter, voyage of 1882-1883
May 31st 1883
Not far from Cape Navarin and in scattering sea ice.

'At three o'clock A.M. saw the Bk "Arnolda" with her Ensign half mast At 6 A.M. I went aboard her and found that Capt Jones was dead died at 1 o'clock this morning with dropsy.'



Rest in Peace Captain Jones of the Whaling Bark Arnolda.

The Hunter 1882-1883 reports the loss of the whaling bark Louisa

September 28th 1883

Gamed Str Rainbow herd the loss of Bk "Louisa" struck a peice of ice in the blow and filled and rolled over crew took to the boats one boat capsized and the crew were drowned the other boats were picked up by the Bk "Francis Palmer"

Rest in Peace the sailors of the Bark Louisa