Voyage of the James Caird

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The James Caird is a 22.5-foot (6.85 m) whaleboat in which Sir Ernest Shackleton, Frank Worsley, Tom Crean and three others made an open-boat voyage of 800 miles (1,480 km), from Elephant Island in the South Shetland Islands to South Georgia, during the southern winter of 1916. The purpose of the voyage was to organise a rescue for the crew of Shackleton's ship Endurance, who had become stranded on Elephant Island after the ship had been crushed by ice in the Weddell Sea during the early stages of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

The James Caird, which had been carried aboard Endurance as a lifeboat, was named by Shackleton after Sir James Key Caird, a Dundee jute manufacturer and philanthropist, whose generous gift had helped to finance Shackleton's expedition. Before its epic voyage it had been roughly adapted by ship's carpenter Harry McNish to withstand the mighty seas of the southern ocean. Due to the pin-point accuracy of Frank Worsley's navigation, the James Caird arrived at South Georgia after a voyage lasting 17 days. Shackleton was thereafter able to organise the rescue of the Elephant Island party, and return his men home without loss of life.

Contents 1 On Elephant Island 2 Preparations 3 The open-boat journey 4 South Georgia 5 Aftermath 6 Notes 7 Sources 8 External links

[edit] On Elephant Island

After the Endurance was crushed by the Weddell Sea pack ice on 27 October 1915,^[1] Shackleton and his 27-man crew were forced to camp on the ice as it drifted slowly northward. They had with them three lifeboats, which Shackleton named after the principal contributors to the expedition: Stancomb Wills, Dudley Docker and James Caird.^[2] When the ice started to break up, on 8 April 1916, the men took to the boats and, over a perilous period of five days, rowed through the floating pack to Elephant Island.^[3]

They were far away from civilization, and every passing day put them in greater danger of succumbing to the harsh Antarctic climate. Elephant Island was inhospitable, its barren terrain devoid of vegetation, although with a relative abundance of seals and penguins to provide a basis for medium-term survival. However, the run-down state of many of the party, and the swiftly approaching Antarctic winter, were causes for concern to Shackleton. The island was remote from anywhere that the expedition had planned to go, and was far from normal shipping routes,^[4] so the likelihood of relief from any outside agency was negligible; their rescue would lie in their own hands.

Consequently, Shackleton felt that it was essential that he should set out for help without delay, in one of the boats. The nearest inhabited land was Tierra del Fuego, some 500 miles (820 km) away to the north-west, but unattainable due to the prevailing westerly winds. Shackleton decided, therefore, to try and reach the whaling stations of South Georgia, to the north-east, even though this meant a much longer journey of over 800 miles (1,500 km), across the Southern Ocean in an open boat.^[4]

[edit] Preparations

The waters that Shackleton's boat party would have to traverse were among the most treacherous seas in the world, with almost unceasing gales.^[4] Modern weather reports confirm that gale-force winds of 40 to 45 miles per hour (60 to 70 km/h) are present in the Drake passage on an average of 200 days per year,^[5] with 60–foot (20–m.) waves not uncommon.^[6] A voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia meant that the crew would be at the mercy of such elements throughout the boat journey.

Of the three boats Shackleton selected the James Caird, the heaviest and strongest.^[7] He then asked the expedition's carpenter, Harry McNish, if he could make the boat more seaworthy.^[8] McNish, with improvised tools and materials, immediately set about adapting the boat, raising its sides, strengthening its keel, and building a makeshift deck of wood and canvas, sealing the work with oil paints and lamp wick.^[9] As his companions for the voyage, Shackleton chose Frank Worsley, Endurance's skipper, as navigator, the tough and experienced Tom Crean (who had begged to be taken),^[8] and two strong sailors in John Vincent and Timothy McCarthy. The final place went to McNish.^[8]

Worsley's task of navigating the crossing on the correct course would be of critical importance, as missing the target of South Georgia would certainly doom the boat's crew to certain death in the wastes of the Southern Ocean. Indeed, Shackleton refused to pack supplies for more than four weeks knowing that if they had not made land by that time, then the boat would certainly have been lost.^[10]

[edit] The open-boat journey

The James Caird was launched from Elephant Island on 24 April 1916, loaded with provisions and sleeping gear for its six-man crew, and with 19 bags of ballast.^[11] The boat had been rigged by McNish with a jib and standing lug sail on the mainmast, and a small gaff sail on the mizzen.^[12] The wind was a moderate south-westerly, which aided a swift getaway, so that the boat was quickly out of sight of the land.^[11]

As soon as they were clear of a belt of pack-ice close to the land, Shackleton ordered Worsley to set a course due north, instead of north-east, to get clear as soon as possible from the menacing ice.^[12] By midnight they had left the immediate ice behind, but the sea swell was rising. At dawn the next day they were 45 miles (75 km) from Elephant Island, sailing in heavy seas, with 20 ft (6 m.) waves and Force 9 winds.^[12] A ship's routine had been established: two three-man watches, with one man at the helm, another at the sails, and the third on baling duty.^[12] The off-watch trio rested in the tiny covered space in the bows. The difficulties of exchanging places as each watch ended would, Shackleton wrote, "have had its humorous side if it had not involved us in so many aches and pains".^[13]

Everything depended on the accuracy of the observations that Worsley somehow had to make, in mountainous seas and with only the briefest appearances from the sun. The first observation, made on 26 April, showed them to be 128 miles (210 km) from Elephant Island, at 59°46'S, 52°18'W.^[12] This latitude brought them largely clear of the dangers of ice, but into the most hazardous part of the Southern Ocean, where huge rolling waves sweep unimpeded round the globe. The course was now changed to head directly for South Georgia.^[12] The movement of the ship made cooking hot food on the Primus nearly impossible, but Crean, acting as cook, somehow kept the men fed.^[12]

The next observation, on 29 April, showed that they had travelled 238 miles (400 km), and were 458 miles (760 km) from their destination.^[14] They now encountered the worst of the weather. The James Caird was shipping heavy seas and in danger of sinking, kept afloat by continuous baling. The temperature fell sharply, and a new danger presented itself by the accumulations of frozen spray, which threatened to capsize the boat.^[15] For 48 hours they were hove to with a sea anchor, until the wind dropped sufficiently for them to raise sail and proceed. Worsley's third observation put them now just 250 miles (415 km) from South Georgia.^[16]

On 5 May the bad weather returned and brought them to the point of disaster in the largest seas they had so far encountered. Shackleton later wrote: "We felt our boat lifted and flung forward like a cork in breaking surf".^[17] The crew baled frantically to keep the boat afloat. Nevertheless they were still moving towards their goal, and a dead-reckoning calculation by Worsley on the next day, 6 May, suggested that they were only 115 miles (190 km) from the western point of South Georgia, a position generally confirmed by the next day's observation.^[17] But the experiences of the past two weeks were taking their toll. Shackleton observed that Vincent had collapsed and ceased to be an active member of the crew. McCarthy was "weak, but happy". McNish was weakening, although showing "grit and spirit".^[17]

On 8 May floating seaweed was spotted, and later that day came the first sight of land. ^[17] To avoid the possibility of being swept past the island by the fierce south-westerly winds, Shackleton had ordered a slight change of course so that the James Caird would make its landfall on the uninhabited south coast, and could then attempt to work its way round to the whaling stations on the opposite side. As they approached the coast a tremendous storm made landing impossible. For more than 24 hours they stood off the coast, in rain, hail, sleet and snow, and hurricane force winds.^[17] On 10 May Shackleton, concerned that the weaker members of his crew would not last another day, decided that whatever the hazard they must attempt a landing. They headed for a small cove near the entrance to King Haakon Bay, and finally made their landfall there.^[17]

[edit] South Georgia

Main article: Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition

After a few days' recuperation Shackleton decided that the boat was not capable of making a further 150–mile (250 km) voyage around the dangerous coastline, to reach the whaling stations on the north side of South Georgia. Furthermore at least two of the men—Vincent and McNish—were unfit to travel. He decided to move the boat to a new location within King Haakon Bay, from which point he, Worsley and Crean would cross the island on foot, aiming for the inhabited station at Stromness.^[18]

On 15 May the James Caird made a run of about 30 miles (50 km) to a shingle beach near the head of the bay. Here the boat was beached and up-turned to provide a shelter. The location was christened "Peggotty Camp" (after Peggoty's boat-home in David Copperfield).^[19] Early on 18 May the three set out for what would be the first-ever confirmed land crossing of South Georgia.^[20] They reached their destination at Stromness 36 hours later. Later that evening, 19 May, a motor-vessel was despatched to King Haakon Bay to pick up McCarthy, McNish and Vincent, and the James Caird, and bring them to safety.^[21] Due to the advent of the southern winter and the subsequent ice conditions, it was more than three months before Shackleton was able to organize the relief of the men at Elephant Island.

[edit] Aftermath

The James Caird was returned to England in 1919. After Shackleton's death in 1922 it was presented to Dulwich College, Shackleton's old school in South London, by his old schoolmate John Quiller Rowett, who had financed Shackleton's last Antarctic venture aboard Quest It is sometimes transported to exhibitions or museums, for example to New York City in 1999, where it was on view for several months. It was on loan to the National Maritime Museum for an extended period during 2006, and was on display in London at the Earls Court Boat Show, November–December 2007.^[22]

The James Caird Society was founded in 1994, to "preserve the memory, honour and remarkable feats of discovery in the Antarctic, and commend the outstanding qualities of leadership associated with the name of Sir Ernest Shackleton, especially during the ill-fated but glorious Endurance Expedition".^[23]

[edit] Notes

[edit] Sources

• Huntford, Roland Shackleton, Hodder & Stoughton. London 1985 ISBN 0 340 25007 0
• Shackleton, Sir Ernest South, Century Traveller's edition, Century Publishing, London 1983 ISBN 0 7126 0111 2
• Worsley, Frank Shackleton's Boat Journey, W W Norton, London 1999 ISBN 0 7126 6574 9
• Venanzangeli, Paolo, Article:"Cape Horn the Terrible" (accessed 17 April 2008)
• Dulwich College website, James Caird picture and information on[1] Accessed 19 April 2008
• James Caird Society Website: objectives on [2] Accessed 19 April 2008

[edit] External links

• Official site of the James Cairders at Dulwich College
• Voyage of the James Caird at Antarctic Connection including a list of provisions and instruments taken on the voyage.
• Voyage of the James Caird at Cool Antarctica