Please select your home edition
Edition
Barton Marine 2019 728x90

Alexandra Shackleton gets some respite from heavy weather

by Biarta Parnham 27 Jan 2013 22:23 PST 28 January 2013

What a difference a day makes...

Crew take a breather on deck to 'dry out' as winds abate on Day Four of the Shackleton Epic Expedition

After four days at sea, and taking a true 'Southern Ocean battering' during the past 48 hours, the six man crew of the Alexandra Shackleton have emerged on deck, exhausted but happy to have sunshine and dry out their clothes, sleeping bags and themselves.

The past two days have seen the Alexandra Shackleton, a 22.5' replica of the James Caird, battle 7 metre swells and winds gusting over 50 knots from the south. At one point the little boat hit a top speed of 7 knots – but she's now settled back to a more steady 2 knot average speed in the comparatively lighter conditions with 15 knots of wind.

Since the expedition began on 23 January (GMT) when the crew departed from Elephant Island bound for South Georgia, they have covered 284 nautical miles and chalked up 55 nautical miles in the past 24 hours.

The expedition support vessel Australis reports that the crew look well and happy and that they have now fixed their radio and the AIS radar tracker which became waterlogged during the two day storm. Seen on deck and surrounded by their clothes and bedding, the crew were smiling but not very talkative as they recovered from their ordeal. "Well... it wasn't much of an Australia Day," Tim Jarvis, expedition leader said.

"As we were swapping duties on the watch in the middle of the night I extended my arm to Paul (fellow Aussie navigator Paul Larsen), shook his hand and said 'Happy Australia Day mate'. That was our official celebration - the best we could do under the circumstances," the veteran of multiple polar expeditions said.

But the crew's weather respite may be short-lived. The wind is forecast to turn to come directly out of the north which will slow their progress considerably and make conditions on board the cramped boat extremely uncomfortable – once again.

Shackleton's crew took 14 days to make the 800 nautical mile crossing and currently the Alexandra Shackleton is on track to at least equal this time. Eerily, they seem to be experiencing the same conditions, at a similar time in their journey as Shackleton did almost 100 years before.

www.shackletonepic.com

Related Articles

Team Racing Worlds at Newport, RI, Day 3
Epic breeze cuts racing short; clear division between teams sets scene for final day Sunny skies met big breeze on Day 3 but by 12:30 p.m. racing was postponed, and as the wind built to 25+, the Race Committee abandoned racing at 3:00 p.m. Posted today at 12:39 am
Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta overall
Southern Wind 100 Agapi Mas awarded the Willy Persico Trophy The 2025 edition of the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta and the Southern Wind RendezVous concluded today with another outstanding day of racing. The event is organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of title sponsor Giorgio Armani. Posted on 31 May
11th Shenzhen Dapeng Cup Sailing Regatta
FD Future boats join the youth regatta at Seven Star Yacht Club The 2025 11th Shenzhen Dapeng Cup Sailing Regatta kicked off in Seven Star Yacht Club in Shenzhen on the 23rd till the 25th of May. FD Future boats joined the youth regatta with 11 competition groups and more than 80 youth participants. Posted on 31 May
Countdown begins for the 2025 29er Worlds
At the iconic city of Porto, Portugal The countdown is on! The 2025 29er World Championship will land in the iconic city of Porto, Portugal, with the fleet descending on Marina da Afurada - Douro Marina from 1st-8th August 2025. Posted on 31 May
Casa Vela Cup 2025 at St Francis Yacht Club Day 3
Pauline Courtois will meet Nicole Breault in the final Defending women's match racing world champion Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy Elite team from France will meet USA's Nicole Breault/ Vela Racing in the final of the 2025 Casa Vela Cup in San Francisco. Posted on 31 May
Team Racing Worlds at Newport, RI, Day 2
Consolidation In the Ranks: U.S. Teams Lead A thrilling action-packed series of races on Day 2 of the 2025 Team Racing World Championship saw the three teams representing the United States consolidate at the top of the leaderboard. Posted on 31 May
5.5 Metre German Open in Warnemunde day 2
Otto takes command on the second day Otto (NOR 68, Lasse Berthelsen, Sam Haines, Kyle Gundersen) storm into the lead at the 2025 5.5 Metre German Open in Warnemunde after three wins from four races on Friday in winds from 8-15 knots. Posted on 30 May
Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup Preview
Getting ready to race at Monte Real Club de Yates in Baiona Today (Friday) Galicia's prestigious Monte Real Club de Yates in Baiona (Galicia, Spain) hosted the official presentation of the GALICIA 52 SUPER SERIES ROYAL CUP, the second scoring event for the 2025 season of the 52 SUPER SERIES. Posted on 30 May
Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta day 3
No racing due to light wind in Porto Cervo The forecast of very light winds proved to be accurate today as the starting procedure for the third day of the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta and the Southern Wind RendezVous got under way. Posted on 30 May
1D35 "Relentless" to Race 2025 LBRW with new owner
First-time owner Derek Williamson eager to join the fleet for premier event As Derek Williamson prepares to race in his first regatta - Long Beach Race Week (LBRW) - where he'll be helming his own boat, Williamson acknowledges that he's new to the game and has a lot to learn. Posted on 30 May
Mackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMNorth Sails Loft 57 PodcastAllen Dynamic 40 Footer