Friday, February 12, 2010 I just finished reading the Book
"Shackletons Captain" by John Thompson. It is about Frank
Worsley who was the captain of the HMS Endurance on Shackletons
1914 trans antartic expedition. The Sinking of the Endurance in
the pack ice and subsiquent survival epic is a great story to
read, I believe those men were made of different stuff then most
folks today. My favorite part of this story is the famous open
boat trip from Elephant Island to South Georgia to get help for
the stranded crew. Shackleton,Worsley,Tom Crean,John Vincent,Tim
Mcarthy and of course "Chippy McNish the Carpenter, made the
journey in a reinforced whale boat christened the "James Caird".
The journey was a distance of 800 nautical miles the
responsibility of navigating the boat to South Georgia fell to
Worsley. Success depended on Worsley's navigation, based on
sightings attempted during the very brief appearances of the
sun, as the boat pitched and rolled. His seamanship skills were
first rate as can be expected fro