First Mate
The duties of the three or four mates (according to the size of the vessel) were manifold. When lowering for whales each mate commanded a boat, directed the pursuit, and at-tacked the prey with his lance; and he also performed the tasks requiring the greatest skill and experience in the long, arduous process of converting the carcasses into oil and whalebone. On shipboard these officers were responsible for the maintenance of discipline and efficiency, exercised general supervision over the work of the crew, performed the most skilled and delicate tasks themselves, and stood watches which placed them successively in charge of the deck.
The first mate was usually the busiest man on board. For in addition to being foremost inaction every time whales were sighted, he was directly responsible for the proper conduct of all routine affairs, as wellas for carrying out the captain’s orders, keeping the log-book, and directing the navigation of the vessel.*
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- Occupations aboard a whaling vessel Jordan Goffin