Replica of Shackleton's boat donated to Akaroa
Friday, 4 December 2020
Sir Edmund Hillary called it “the greatest survival story of all time”, and from management seminars to military campaigns, the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition has become legendary.
The group, under the leadership of Sir Ernest Shackleton, set off in 1914 and aimed to be the first to cross Antarctica.
But from the moment their ship became trapped in the pack ice, it was life or death.
The 27-strong crew spent five months on the frozen Weddell Sea before navigating their tiny lifeboats to the uninhabited Elephant Island.
**READ MORE:
* Go to Antarctica without leaving NZ
* Canterbury scientists to join international Antarctic expedition
* Following in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton
**
From there, five men – including Akaroa’s Frank Worsley – spent 17 treacherous days on the Southern Ocean.
Their boat, James Caird, arrived at South Georgia in May 1916, the successful crossing largely due to Worsley’s expert navigation.
After traversing the island's mountainous interior, they reached a whaling station where they were able to call for help.
Almost a century later, British explorer Tim Jarvis and five others recreated Shackleton's epic journey.
Dressed in cotton smocks and using similar equipment, the crew sailed an identical boat – the Alexandra Shackleton – which was named after Shackleton’s granddaughter.
The replica vessel they used will arrive in Akaroa on Saturday, after Jarvis donated it to Christchurch.
It is hoped the boat will go on display as a reminder of the important role Worsely played in the incredible survival story.
Jarvis now lives in Adelaide and told his fascinating story via video link to an audience at the Christchurch Club on Friday.
He described the crossing as a “cold, wet and unpleasant ride”, as the crew defecated in a bucket and slept upright in soaking wet reindeer fur sleeping bags.
They saw the sun twice during the voyage, and risked being overturned by 12-metre waves and being hit by container vessels.
“If it capsized, there was no way of righting the boat,” he said.
The going was slow, with the boat averaging about 2 knots (3.7kmh).
“You are floating in the direction of travel, as much as sailing.”
Jarvis, who is also an environmental scientist, said Shackleton’s greatest strength was his “pragmatic optimism”, something the people of Christchurch had also shown.
“How you have responded as a city is a fantastic example for the rest of the world.”
Amy Carter, chief executive of Christchurch Foundation, which has taken delivery of the boat, said Jarvis had a strong relationship with the city, having stayed there many times en route to Antarctica.
“He is a world-leading authority in climate science and a true explorer in every sense of the world,” she said.
“Having Alexandra Shackleton here in Christchurch, which will now be her permanent home, will help us tell the story of Ernest Shackleton and Frank Worsley, but also tell Tim’s story, because it’s an impressive one in its own right.”
The exact site in Akaroa where the boat will be housed has yet to be determined.