Shipyard Page. Example transcription, general questions & answers

[AvastMH]

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. Having such pulled out and associated by line with date/time/position and page url offers the most effective means of turning text into actionable data. It also means that the data 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 on your whaler's Shipyard page.
This main principle will also appear on every Shipyard page.

Additional information can typically include the following which are entered on the remarks worksheet.

• natural phenomena (volcanoes, kelp, sun spots, auroras)
• crew names
• the names of other ships seen or visited
• 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!

[AvastMH]

Welcome on board the Bark 'William Baylies'. The log entries cover the voyage from the 26th October 1894 to the 19th June 1895 from San Francisco and mastered by John MacInnis.
The log contains several voyages so do please check in the Log Pages for Transcribing - Apply here! section for the correct pages.
This ship has a 'twin' log book: William Baylies 1894 - 1895 ODHS225

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 Guide to posting links and images. 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.
  

Names of the crew
Names of the crew and notes of other ships mentioned or visited can also be recorded. Crews and Ships Met.

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 Wm Baylies' log pages in chronological order. All you have to do is increment the number at the end of the link: page/370/mode/1up, page/371/mode/1up, page/372/mode/1up etc.

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Here is a log page that has been transcribed to help you to be familiar with the writing. Right click and select 'Open image in new tab' to see it in full and expandable.
28th May to 3rd of June 1895 (There is an intermittent fault on the archive site, you may land up on the previous page - simply scroll on one page - thank you.)



Here is a transcription of the above log page.

Simple transcription	Phrases of text bracketed
Tuesday May 28th This Day began with Fine weather wind NE Thermometer 50 above. middle & latter part DFine Funeral of Blacksmith who Died on Navarch yesterday morning with Hemonorage of the Lungs	Tuesday [May 28th] This Day [began] with [Fine weather wind NE] [Thermometer 50 above]. [middle] & [latter part] [Fine] [Funeral of Blacksmith who Died on Navarch yesterday morning with Hemonorage of the Lungs]
Wednesday May 29th This Day began with Fine weather Wind N.E. Thermometer 40 above. Caulking Decks and geting ready for Sea Snow and Ice melting Fast got our water yesterday	Wednesday [May 29th] This Day [began] with [Fine weather Wind N.E.] [Thermometer 40 above]. Caulking Decks and [geting ready for Sea] Snow and [Ice melting Fast] got our water yesterday
Thursday May 30th This Day began with Fine weather wind East Thermometer 70 above got 25 Tons Ballast on Board had a man Rupture himself in some unaccountable way the Rupture was reduced by applying Ice middle & Latter part Fine	Thursday [May 30th] This Day [began] with [Fine weather wind East] [Thermometer 70 above] got 25 Tons Ballast on Board had a man Rupture himself in some unaccountable way the Rupture was reduced by applying Ice [middle] & [Latter part] [Fine]
Fryday May 31st This Day began with Fine weather wind East Thermometer 70 above it is Reported that there are plenty of Deer to the Eastward but no Snow on the Land and the Rivers have overflowed their Banks so that they are impasable	Fryday May 31st This Day [began] with [Fine weather wind East] [Thermometer 70 above] it is Reported that there are plenty of Deer to the Eastward but no Snow on the Land and the Rivers have overflowed their Banks so that they are impasable
Saturday May June 1st saw the First Flower This Day began with fine calm weather Wind Thermometer 70 above Steward Sick all hand engaged in geting ready for the comeing Season	Saturday May [June 1st] saw the First Flower This Day [began] with [fine calm weather Wind] [Thermometer 70 above] Steward Sick all hand engaged in geting ready for the comeing Season
Sunday May the June 2nd This Day began with Fine weather NW wind Thermometer 65 above middle & latter part Fine.	Sunday May the [June 2nd] This Day [began] with [Fine weather NW wind] [Thermometer 65 above] [middle] & [latter part] [Fine].
Monday June 3rd This Day began with Strong N.W Winds Thermometer Down to 32 above and it is Spitting Snow middle & latter part good weather so ends	Monday [June 3rd] This Day [began] with [Strong N.W Winds] [Thermometer Down to 32 above] and it is [Spitting Snow] [middle] & [latter part] [good weather] so ends

If you find extreme comments please note them here: Extreme comments from logs. Weather, ice, seas. These might include notes of the worst conditions, or the worst experience (worst ever storm, never going to sea again...). Thank you.

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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.
This ship works on Civil time. The entry for 1st November 1894 shows this timing:
[...]9 a.m. at noon [...] Evening [...]

Click on the worksheet images below to see them at full size in a new tab.

Start worksheet


Primary worksheet


Weather worksheet


Remarks worksheet


Here's a link back to the list of logbook sections for transcribing Log Pages for Transcribing - apply here!

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Warning: AUTOFILL function between worksheets.
Do not drag and drop the date or time on any of the worksheets because you may disrupt the autofill function.
If you are unsure that the autofill is in proper order you can check by pressing two keys on your keyboard.
You are certainly welcome to ask for help with this action.

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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.

[AvastMH]

Being struck in the Arctic all over winter is no reason to miss important events. Here's Thanksgiving 1894 and it is surrounded by reports of deer meat being brought to the ship by native hunters. Its a great mirror of the early saving of the first European settlers centuries before
Thanksgiving 1894 (November 25th)

[AvastMH]

Banking up: Ships banked snow up around the side of the ship during overwintering in the Arctic. This action deflected wind up over the ship rather than allow it to buffet the side and cause damage whilst locked in ice. This activity does not relate to sea ice.
Here is a picture of the William Baylies overwintering at Herschel Island (Canadian Yukon) during the winter of 1894-1895. It shows banking and an elegant set of stairs at the waist, partly covered, and all made of ice. (The rudder area was kept clear of all ice.)


And a comment about those wonderful ice-built steps... Jan 2nd 1895
"Strange to think how many times I had over Board to hook on to Sperm Whales and last Night I come walking out of the Waist on a Pair of Ice Steps"

[AvastMH]

https://archive.org/details/logbookofwi ... 3/mode/1up They were tough in those days... Dec 7th


....tough men and tough women*! Dec 8th https://archive.org/details/logbookofwi ... 3/mode/1up


well - perhaps not that tough - the weather is not so bad Dec 8th https://archive.org/details/logbookofwi ... 3/mode/1up


And as if to prove that it could be worse..frost bitten ears going to a party on the 10th Dec. https://archive.org/details/logbookofwi ... 3/mode/1up I'm sure that they hardly hurt at all during the Virginia Reel with Miss Dorothy Porter age 5 years


*All's well that ends well...Baby Helen Herschel Sherman is christened on the 12th May 1895 https://archive.org/details/logbookofwi ... 8/mode/1up

[AvastMH]

And following on from Thanksgiving Day (see above)...

Not for the first time...ice cream as pudding (which is the same as dessert ) during an overwintering in the Arctic Christmas Day 1894 https://archive.org/details/logbookofwi ... 7/mode/1up

[Randi]

I suppose it keeps well
(at least once you get there)