I don't know if this is the place to ask, but I have been researching ships for a story I am writing. There is a crew of about 10, so that might narrow the size of ship. Would a whaling ship differ from a fishing one?
Another question is, would there be a way for me to find the layout of that ship? I would like to design my own in order to help me envision the characters as I write. Thank you!
There is no clear answer to your question without further narrowing down specific era or culture, the answer really is how long is a piece of string. Vessels ranged from small fishing boats with only a single or a handful of crew-members. All the way up to the vast factory vessels, with 50 or more crew members. Technology was fast advancing at this time as the age of steam reached its peak in this period. For the "classic" depiction of a whaler from the golden age of whaling look at the Essex, sunk by a sperm whale in 1820. This story famously inspired Moby Dick. Off the top of my head I believe the Essex had a crew of twenty. So not too far from your stated parameters. If you could clarify further in regards to geographic and temporal location I could be much more specific.