AOWV provides no clues about Capt. Dubay, where he was born or died or who he may have married. Even the spelling of his last name is uncertain: it may have been Dubey. With only an initial for a first name and uncertain spelling of his last name and no other data points, it is not surprising that online genealogical sites failed to provide any further information about him. Absent further information, he will remain a mystery.
His only record of having served as master was on two short voyages in the course of one year, and it was on one ship with New London as home port:
DELTA (AS/1203): (bark/ship, 314 tons, built in Newbury MA in 1821, condemned and broken up in 1856). It sailed in February 1856 for the Arctic, returned on November 12. AV03699. It sailed again on December 9, 1856 and apparently was broken up and did not return to port. AV16951. C.A. Williams & Co. was agent for both voyages.
AOWV is the source of information about the two voyages. Capt. Dubay, DELTA, and the voyages are not reported in Colby or Decker. AOWV and Starbuck both show only one whaling ship with the name DELTA. That ship made 14 voyages between 1832 and 1855, all with Greenport NY as home port. After his list of those voyages, Starbuck shows “see New London”, but unfortunately there is no reference to DELTA’s New London voyages. Dennis Wood Abstracts #3-662 appears as a reference for the DELTA’s first voyage in 1856. Unfortunately, that reference contains nothing about DELTA, and it is likely that the reference is incorrect.
Whalemen’s Shipping List (9/9/1856) spells DELTA’s master’s last name as Dubay, perhaps verifying his last name.
No record could be found of Capt. Dubay serving as master or crew member on any other ships.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw
American Institute for Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
April 2025