Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

This section of the book relates the desperate voyage of Shackleton and five crewmembers as they attempt to sail the Caird several hundred miles through the Drake Passage to South Georgia Island. They sail from Elephant Island on April 24. The voyage begins smoothly, but a large portion of pack ice forces them to row the boat to clear water. Shackleton is uncharacteristically frank when he talks to Worsley privately that night as they share the lookout at the helm. Shackleton’s self-confidence has been diminished by the events of the past 16 months, and he clearly wishes to have Worsley validate his performance as a leader. Ambivalent about leaving 22 men stranded on a frigid beach and vulnerable to myriad forces, Shackleton nevertheless feels that it was incumbent upon him, as a leader, to attempt to get help. Worsley opines that he is “sure that they [will] make it” (278); Shackleton remains unconvinced. He feels far more competent and in control on solid land; while on the sea, he is entirely reliant upon Worsley’s navigational skills.

Of the plethora of dangers during the trip to South Georgia, the presence of ice— particularly at night—is the most daunting. Blessed with calm seas for the first 48 hours, the crew is subsequently tortured by a number of disasters.