eldest daughter Gita to raise all of her siblings, including baby Orson. Vie Mitchell’s twin brother Haakon became one of the great boat builders of Bequia, adding to an already noble roster going back many generations. Orson left school at the age of 15 and learnt the skills of carpentry and boat building from his large, extended family, as was so often the case in Bequia. Together with his father, he built his first boat the “Maxano” ferry at age 17, which went on to transport goods and passengers up and down the Grenadine islands for many years. While he engaged in other trades, the call of the sea was always there lurking in the background of Orson’s life. From time to time he would go out on the whaleboat “Why Ask” with Barton’s brother, Athneal Ollivierre, known as “the greatest whalerman of Bequia.” He was also always encouraged by his “Uncle” Barton, who in 1987 called him and asked if he would take over the whaleboat Dart, saying that if Orson did not, it would be lost. Despite his family’s long connection to whaling and to Dart, Orson felt that his children were too young and he was not ready to take up whaling, so Dart was sold in 1989, leaving only Athneal’s Why Ask in the whaling business. From as early as 1989, Orson recalls that Athneal Ollivierre began saying that he would soon stop whaling. Orson further recalls that Athneal asked him to continue the tradition, telling him he would leave him his boat. It was from about this time that Orson, now aged 35, started to go out more and more frequently with Athneal, who also asked Orson to find a new crew for Why Ask. Orson recruited Eustace Kydd, Dan Hazell, Ephraim Bynoe, Norman Raguette, Michael Adams and lookout Harold Corea, while Athneal continued to head the team with Orson’s support. Orson notes that during the years 1988 to 1991 there were no whales landed in Bequia. Although Athneal was getting old, he was still strong enough to “pelt the harpoon”, and this he continued to do. Orson tells the frightening tale of a whaling expedition gone badly wrong on February 14th 1992. “As we approached Pigeon Island there was a whale with a tail about 16 feet wide which was simply floating peacefully on the surface. We sailed up to it and Athneal took up the harpoon. Next thing we knew, the whale took the entire boat under water, leaving every sailor afloat. The rope had burst and the whale escaped with the harpoon.” In 1994 Orson again heard rumours that Athneal was quitting, but this time was going to put up his boat in his yard, as a museum piece for visitors to see. It was from his cousin Harold Corea that Orson learnt that Athneal was no longer going to leave his boat to him. “You have to get your own boat.” Harold advised him. Despite being pained that he did not hear a word directly from Athneal, Orson consulted his father who told him, “Son, if it is your will, it is your way.” And so Orson set about on his new journey to build his own whaleboat. He kept inviting Athneal to see the progress being made on the building of the boat, but he never came, sending others instead to look at it and report on its progress. Orson was grateful that a film crew came from the United States and made a financial investment in his new venture.
Friendship Bay with the whaling station on Semple Cay just off shore Photo Wilfred Dederer
Orson’s first whaling expedition, at the age of 13, was on Barton Ollivierre’s whaleboat Dart, pictured here on the shore of the whaling station at Petit Nevis, just off the south coast of Bequia Photo courtesy Bill Wulff
Athneal Ollivierre (standing right) in Why Ask, with lance in hand. Midshipman Ephraim Bynoe (with second lance) and bow oarsman Orson “Balaam” Ollivierre (in the water) prepare to sew up the mouth of the whale, prior to towing it ashore Photo: Pat Mitchell
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