The Whaler That Never Was: A Yankee Betrayal of Puget Sound

The Sound papers have, from time to time, communicated accounts of the future enterprises in these waters of Messrs. Goss & Sawyer, shipbuilders, doing business at Bath, Maine. We notice in a recent New York paper that they have just taken the contract to build a 'whaleship' for Capt. William Lewis, who is said to be of White Island, copper fastened and about 420 tons burden. Her dimensions are to be 115 feet keel, 27 feet beam and 16 feet depth of hold. The contract specifies that she is to be finished by the first day of May. The man for whom she has to be built resides at Redford, Massachusetts.

Just see what the owners of this ship could have saved by coming here and building in these waters! According to Capt. A. M. Simpson’s comparison, the Western shore was bait in lead ten thousand dollars cheaper at Coos Bay than she could have been built in Bath, after fixing her cost ($111 in gold) to convenient figures. The sails, rigging and caulking cost more, but the difference in the cost of timber more than struck a balance in favor of the gun. Of course, the difference would not have been so great in a small vessel, but it probably would have been a saving of at least $3,000. 'Caulks,' in a job of ice, such as whaling vessels often come under in the Arctic ocean, an Oak ship is no advantage than one with iron. Indeed, the ice (this side of Mare Island, between Eastern ore and Puget Sound fir) 'arms' the hem of this; our timber lumber is the strongest, as well as the lightest of the two.

Luz-Hy, the best whaling grounds are in the North Pacific Ocean, but Puget Sound is nearer to them by at least 130 days' sail, than the port of Bath. While this ship is to be built we have but little faith in the much-talked of hegira to Puget Sound of Messrs. Goss & Sawyer. Up to this time we were a strong believer in their coming; but this contract shakes our confidence in their enterprises. Whaling barks and ships could be built here at least six per cent. cheaper than at any Atlantic port, while they would save the expense of nearly five months' voyage (use from the dangers of Cape Horn) by building and outfitting at some port on Puget Sound. Some of these days, some sharp Yankee will see the point, and build his blubber hunters here, but the good time seems a long while in coming.