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TRIUMPHANT LANDING AT PEGGOTTY BLUFF, SHACKLETON'S 1916 LANDING PLACE
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"There was just no way to keep dry. The waterproofing with wax didn't work. Below deck, the boat was constantly damp and being on watch meant that you were directly exposed to the elements. On a few occasions a big wave washed over the deck and down the hatch soaking everything down below."
"As more moisture worked its way into the boat," puts in bosun Seb Coulthard, "the reindeer skins began to get wet and shed. The reindeer hair went absolutely everywhere – it was in your food, your drink, your clothing, your socks – everywhere!"
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"Putting on your traditional outer gear at night in the dark was like putting on a cold, animal carcass."
Not much chance to relax put your feet up, then. Thank God for the food, even when it ws only hoosh shovelled up or slooshed around by the team's masterchef (the Charlie Green of their party) and soon to be their mountain leader, Barry Gray.
It demands a few accolades. "I'm immensely proud of this crew", Jarvis continues. "They all performed incredibly well under such dire circumstances and the fact that we managed to sail 800 nautical miles in such a small vessel really shows what solid performers they are individually, and how incredibly well we worked together as a team."
The six-man crew consisted of skipper Nick Bubb, a veteran round the world sailor who is famous for his few words; Australian navigator Paul Larsen; bosun Seb Coulthard, who oversaw the launch of the boat at Weymouth; mountaineer/cook Barry Gray; and cameraman/mountaineer Ed Wardle, who - a veteran of two successful Everest climbs - concedes "This was genuinely the hardest thing I have ever done. In the first few days it was really hard to get any footage at all: one wwas in basic survival mode. But when that storm hit we were riding really HUGE waves – it was terrifying."
Closer, indeed, to what Shackleton experienced than anyone might have expected (the storm as the James Caird tried to put in to South Georgia nearly did for them all in 1916). Thank heavens there were no 90 foot waves.
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You can send messages of goodwill to the expedition as it embarks on and completes it final stages by emailing info@shackletonepic.com. A copy of your message will appear on the expedition website.
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