Master Whaler

Master Whaler. It sounds so proud. We embody the best qualities of both sailor and whalers

— Member of a whaling guild

A Master Whaler must excell at both sailing and whaling. It is a rank given who people who pass an examination at a whaling guild, such as the one in Balena. Only with this rank anyone is allowed to dock their whaling ship in a city and sell whale oil there. Many whaling guilds have agreements which allow their captains to dock and trade at another's city. However, there are also guilds that hate competition and don't let captains from other cities in.

Requirements

There is no shortcut to aquire the rank of Master Whaler. No amount of money will buy it. If someone wants, they have to pass the exam. To be eligble for it, they must first serve 5 years under a captain who passed it and get a positive recommendation. Only then, the guild allows them to take the exam. It consists of two parts. The first tests the examinee's ship skill, such as knots, navigation and steering. The second part tests the examinee's leadership and whaling skill. They are asked to take a small ship, catch a whale and extract oil from it. The catch is that the examinee must extract the oil by themselves, without the help of the ship's crew.

We don't want thousands of whaling captains. We understand that we can't hunt all the whales. This is why we made the exam so hard, so only the best can pass it

— Member of a whaling guild

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

A Master Whaler can lose his title only in one case. When he behaves in a dishonourable way multiple times. First 3 times, he receives only warnings. On a fourth one, he loses the title and the ship immediately.

What is considered dishonourable may vary from guild to guild and from person to person. However, it is generally agreed on that everything what puts a guild to which one belongs or his crew in a bad light is dishonourable.

Someone who lost their title can't join another guild. Letters are send to all known guilds telling that such person behaved dishonourably and doesn't deserve the title of Master Whaler.

Type

Professional

Status

In use

Form of Address

Sir
Captain
Master Whaler

Alternative Naming

Captain

Related Locations

• Balena

Related Organizations

• Whaling Guild of Balena