Lagoda Model at the New Bedford Whaling Museum
Maritime Hawai‘i went on a day trip from Boston to New Bedford, a city located in the South Coast region of Massachusetts.
The New Bedford Whaling Museum is a must-visit location for anyone interested in the history of New Bedford and the role it played in the commercial activities related to the whaling industry.
Skeleton of a 48-foot sperm whale in the Turner Gallery. 27 April 2026.
Half-scale model of the whaleship Lagoda in the museum’s Bourne Building. 27 April 2026.
The Lagoda was built in 1826 as a three-masted, full-rigged merchant ship. She was converted to a barque-rigged whaling vessel in 1841.
There are Hawai‘i-related parts to Lagoda’s story. As a whaling vessel, the ship paid visits to Lahaina and Honolulu a number of times during the period from 1845 through 1871. The ship was also part of two major news stories of the time.
Deserters
In June 1848, fifteen members of Lagoda’s crew deserted. Six of the men were from the East Coast of the United States. The other nine were residents of Hawai‘i.*
The men left the ship in three boats and found themselves in the Strait of Sangar** (Tsugaru Strait). They traveled along the Yesso** (also spelled Yeso/Yezo/Eso/Ezo in literature of the time) coast. This was the collective name of the areas of Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. After the men went ashore to search for provisions and interacted with some of the local inhabitants, the Japanese authorities rounded them up and imprisoned them.
The US Sloop Preble, 16, Commander James Glynn, sailed to Japan to secure the release of the prisoners. Of the original nine deserters from Hawai‘i, only seven were on board the Preble when she arrived in Honolulu from Hong Kong on 21 Aug 1849. Unfortunately, Maui committed suicide by hanging in prison in December 1848 and Jack died of dysentery during the voyage to Hawai‘i.1“OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE.” The Polynesian, 29 September 1849, p. 1.
Whaling Disaster of 1871
In 1871, 33 whaling vessels were trapped in the ice in the waters off northern Alaska. Recognizing the dire situation they were in, the masters made the collective decision to abandon ship and make their way south in the ships’ boats. The Lagoda was one of seven whaling vessels that participated in the rescue of the crew members and passengers in the boats.
The Lagoda brought her share of the survivors to Hawai‘i.
*East Coast: Robert McCoy (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); John Bull [John Brady] (Kempville, New York); Jacob Boyd (Springfield, New Jersey); John Martin (Rochester, New York); Melchar Biffar (New York City); Ezra Goldthwaite (Salem, Massachusetts?)
Hawai‘i: Harry Baker; James Hall; Mauna; Moku; Steam; Jack; Hiram; Maui; John Waters
**Historic Western version of place name.
