It has been decided – with heavy hearts – by all those involved in organising Shackleton’s Final Quest Voyage that the most prudent course would be to postpone. The situation of those vessels already operating in Antarctica made it increasingly clear that it would be impossible to guarantee that the trip would be as the passengers and organisers anticipated – safe, enjoyable, rewarding – and accomplished in accordance with its chief objective: to commemorate the centenary of Shackleton’s death in a fitting manner.

Ice Tracks Expeditions and Polar Latitudes, supported by The James Caird Society and associated industry experts, have therefore postponed the voyage until December 2022, starting with two nights in Ushuaia, followed by a New Year’s celebration in the Beagle Channel.  On 5 January 2023 a special on-board event will honour the day of Shackleton’s death exactly 101 years previously.  The following day the ship will sail the seldom-visited King Haakon Bay, weather conditions permitting.

All those who were booked on the original trip have already been informed of the changed itinerary. Newcomers who are interested in joining us will be very welcome. We will be sailing on MS Island Sky, leaving Ushuaia on 31 December and returning to London on 20 January 2023.  The historical extension to visit Montevideo is planned for 20/21/22 January, returning to London on 23 January.

Everyone who has been involved with the long and detailed planning of this once-in-a-lifetime trip very much regrets the necessity to pull out at this stage but, as The Boss himself said, “Difficulties are just things to be overcome, after all.” 

 The plans currently taking shape for the postponed event are proof that this particular difficulty is well on its way to being overcome.

If you would like further details about the brand new itinerary for Shackleton’s Final Quest voyage, please look here

A webinar meeting explaining the circumstances of the postponement took place on 21 January. If you missed it and would like to catch up, the recording is available here Shackleton’s Final Quest Webinars & Updates.

 

 

 

Wednesday 5 January 2022 marked the 100th anniversary of Shackleton’s death aboard Quest in South Georgia. Many events and expeditions this year pay tribute to the centenary, including the ReQuest21 Expedition undertaken by the Kent Scouts and Shackleton’s Final Quest voyage, organised by IceTracks with the support of the James Caird Society.

Closer to home: Choral Evensong in Westminster Abbey on Tuesday 18 January 2022 will mark the anniversary with a Shackleton theme.

After over a year in pandemic-driven lock down, the James Caird is once more ‘back in business’. Members of the public can arrange to visit the world’s most famous lifeboat on Fridays at 11.30am.  Please wear a mask and bring evidence of a recent negative Lateral Flow Test. All visits must be pre-booked via

School tours are available on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in term time and can be booked by contacting   Tours run from 11.15 to 12.15

Full details of the boat’s location can be found here.

… with doctors on skis

October will see another challenging expedition which aims to emulate the spirit of Shackleton: Gareth Andrews and Richard Stephenson, both medical practitioners, will attempt to become the first team in history to ski across the continent of Antarctica, including its two permanent ice shelves, unsupported.

Their success over this 2600 km, 110-day expedition will be testament to tenacity, determination and meticulous planning. Day on day, the trek will further our knowledge of rarely traversed sections of Antarctica, how humans perform in extreme conditions and our continuing impact on this most pristine of environments.

The Last Great First will bring the future into focus for a new generation, underlining the importance, majesty and fragility of Antarctica and its pivotal role in our survival on this planet. This trek will highlight the urgent need for the protection of these vital systems through a deeper understanding of and investment in Antarctic science. More information can be found on their website.

The James Caird Society wishes the team every success in this exciting venture.

 

As the heroic age of exploration draws to a close, a new book tells the story of one of the heroes involved – one who is little known and scarcely recognised today.

Eric Marshall, under the leadership of Ernest Shackleton, staggered to within 97 miles of the South Pole on the 1907 – 1909 Nimrod Expedition.  When they ultimately headed for home, mission unaccomplished, it was Marshall’s heroics that prevented the journey from becoming a death march. He subsequently survived a harrowing expedition in Dutch New Guinea but fame and fortune eluded him. Increasingly embittered, he turned his resentment towards family, friends and above all Shackleton, becoming in time Sir Ernest’s fiercest critic.

This fascinating story of Marshall’s life, by Angie Butler and Beau Riffenburgh, brings a new insight into the trials these heroic Edwardians endured, and which affected them for ever.

Marshall’s nonagenarian daughter, Dawn Beal, has read the book: ‘I feel so privileged to be the first recipient. It’s a beautiful book. It brings me good and bad memories of my father’.

Shackleton’s Critic can be bought here.