TOWING TO THE SHIP
If more whales were in the vicinity, the dead one was “waifed” with a small red flag and the pursuit resumed.
A whale usually ran to windward—leaving the ship far to leeward, shorthanded, and faced with a long beat to pick up her boats.
A line was made fast by a hole cut in the flukes, the boats were connected, and all hands put their backs into the arduous task of towing back to the ship.
Towing to the Ship