24 April 1916 - The James Caird departs for South Georgia

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After the Endurance sunk in November 1915, Shackleton and his men drifted helplessly on ice floes. It wasn’t until April 1916, with the floe breaking up as it drifted into the Southern Ocean, that they were able to escape the ice in their three lifeboats.

After several days at sea, they made it to desolate Elephant Island. They were far from safe, however. Nobody had set foot on the island for eighty years, so the chances of rescue were practically nil.

Shackleton realised that the only hope of survival would be for a small party to sail the strongest of the boats – James Caird – to the nearest inhabited island, South Georgia, 1300 kilometres across the treacherous Southern Ocean. Nobody had ever before undertaken such a journey. They would have only basic navigational equipment and would experience terrible conditions.

The carpenter on the Endurance, Harry McNeish, who had previously threatened to mutiny, oversaw extensive work to strengthen the James Caird for its ordeal. McNeish was chosen to accompany Shackleton on the voyage, as was New Zealander Frank Worsley, who had tremendous navigational skills.

Shackleton and his crew of five sailed just after noon on Monday 24 April 1916. The men remaining on Elephant Island waved them on their way enthusiastically, but they knew that the chance of success was miniscule, and that they would probably never see their crewmates again.

Click to view the lesson plan - Amazing voyages