Moby Dick 01

I expect that, like me, many ship modelers have mixed feelings about the whaling industry. Our contemporary view of whales sees them as gentle, intelligent and endangered creatures. And the modern, mechanized whaling industry is a brutal business that is a far cry from the sailing ship era when men rowed small boats out to hunt the mighty beasts in their element. That ideal of the early whaling industry probably is somewhat romanticized but it is possible to admire the courage of the men who pursued whales, even if we abhor the result.