Welcome on board the Lucretia on her voyage from 15th Dec 1882 to 15th Nov 1883
Lucretia (Steam Bark) of New Bedford, mastered by Edward Kelly, later Robert P. Gifford. Henry B. Chase, Keeper
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...
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.
Names of the crew
Names of the crew and notes of other ships mentioned or visited can also be recorded.
Lucretia 1882-1883, crew 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 Lucretia's 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.
However,
the page numbering has two insertions. The database page numbering sequence is:
https://archive.org/details/lucretiaste ... 2/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/lucretiaste ... 8/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/lucretiaste ... 9/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/lucretiaste ... 3/mode/1up
The writing over these pages is heavy but poor. The words can be made out despite what appears to be water damage from, perhaps, rain.
THE LUCRETIA IS WORKING IN NAUTICAL TIME. THE DAY COMMENCES AT NOON
Here is a log page that has been transcribed to help you to be familiar with the writing.
August 24th to August 27th 1883 (click image to see it at full size)
New Bedford Capt R. P. Gifford Commander
Friday Aug 24th 1883
Commences with a fresh Gale from S.S.W
all the Fleete at Anchor but the Steamers
Ends the Same Ice Mooveing rapedley to the
Eastward
Saturday Aug 25th
Commences with Strong Breeses and ruged
at 4pm Moderating at 7 thick and Snowey
from N.E Middle light ares and vearing to
the Eastward at 7am took the Anchor
and worked to the Eastward Saw one Whale
15 or 20 Boats down Saw 2 of the Steamers
come from the Eastward
Sunday Aug 26th
Fresh Breeses and fine weather from
E Cruiseing between the Land and the
Ice a Space of about 4 or 5 Miles at 6
Saw a Whale lowered 3 Boats without Success
Midle thick and rainny at pm droped
Anchor in 6 fathoms Watter Blowing Strong
from S.W at 3 am droped the Large Anchor
Ship draging Ends with thick rainy and
vearing to the Westward 13 Sail in Sight
at Anchor Scatering Ice Fresh Gale
Monday Aug 27th
Commences with Strong Breeses and
ruged vearing to WNW and N.W at 4 it
Moderating took the 2nd Anchor at 5.30
pm took the Anchor wind light from N.W
and a Snow Storm heading to the NN.E
Ends Strong Breeses and ruged from
the Eastward hemed in by the Ice Saw
3 Whales Boats down come in thick Fogg
Notes
- Whale stamps or drawings indicate a chase. An image of a tail shows a chase that ended without a kill. A full drawing of a whale shows that a whale was taken and killed. Sometimes there is a number in the middle of the picture and that indicates the number of barrels rendered
- Margin notes. Some entries are made in the book margins. You can either crane your neck, or take a screen snip to make them more readable
Here is a transcription of the above log page. Click on the worksheet images below to see them at full size (click the image to open it 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'. 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.
Primary worksheet
Weather worksheet
Remarks worksheet
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.
(click the image to open it full size)
The remainder of this topic is for you. Ask questions and share interesting discoveries with us to make these logs live. 
