Whaleboat

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Whaleboat

A whaleboat is a type of open boat

Boat

A boat is a watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water, and provide transport over it. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas....
that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well.

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Encyclopedia

A whaleboat is a type of open boat

Boat

Whaling

Whaling is the hunting of whales and dates back to at least 4,000 BC. The evolution of traditional Arctic whaling developed with increasing rapidity with early organized fleets in the 17th century; competitive national whaling industries in the 18th and 19th centuries; and the introduction of factory ships along with the concept of whale "har...
, and later became popular for work along beach

Beach

File:MiamiSouthBeachPanoramaEdit.jpgA beach is a geology landform along the shoreline of a body of water. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of Rock , such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, pebbles, or cobble....
es, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or refloating.

Whaleboats are traditionally oar

Oar

An oar is an implement used for water-borne Marine propulsion. Oars have a flat Blade at one end. The oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end....
-powered, although in whaling use often had a dismountable mast and sails, too. After 1850 most were fitted with a centerboard for sailing. When sailing, steering was with a rudder

Rudder

A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, or other conveyance that moves through a fluid . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane....
; when rowing, steering was done with an oar held over the stern

Stern

The stern is the rear or aft part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter to the taffrail....
. Whaleboats used in whaling had a stout post mounted on the aft deck, around which the steersman would cinch the rope once the whale had been harpooned, and by which the whale would drag the boat until it was killed.

The term "whaleboat" may be used informally of larger whaler

Whaler

A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early 20th century and the floating factory or factory ship of the modern era....
s, or of a boat used for whale watching

Whale watching

Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also be for scientific or educational reasons....
. On modern warships, a relatively light and seaworthy boat for transport of ship's crew may be referred to as a whaleboat or whaler. It may also refer to a type of vessel designed as a lifeboat or "monomoy" used for recreational and competitive rowing in the San Francisco Bay Area and coastal Massachusetts.

Whaleboat

See also