Steering Yoke & Rudder
On the 25th of September 2001, the world famous auctioneer Christies, sold seven little known photographs of the James `Caird taken at Grayson's Shipyard, Birkenhead. They were the first photographs of the boat taken after the legendary boat journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia, and show her uniquely, in her condition prior to being exhibited in London, and with relics of the boat journey on display.
Along with clothes and sleeping bags, one can see Primus stoves, Hurley's brass baling pump made from the flinders bar from the ship's binnacle compass, a case of Streimers Polar Nutfood and one of the fresh water barrels. However, the boat in the background is not the James Caird; it is clearly discernible as a clinker built boat, the James Caird was carvel built.
Sadly, according to a little known account, the original rudder which was knocked off at Cave Cove and miraculously recovered, was replaced for unknown reasons when the James Caird was restored by Cory's Barge Works in Greenwich, 1968.
There is no reference to whalers or cutters specifically in any of the sub-sections however, in the general rules of attempting to land through a heavy surf, or sailing through broken water it says:
"If the sea is heavy, or if the boat be very small, and specially is she has a square end, bring her bow round to seaward and back her in, rowing ahead against each heavy surf that cannot be avoided sufficiently for it to pass the boat. If it is concerned to proceed bow foremost, back the oars against each sea on its approach, so as to stop the boat's way through the water, and if there is a drogue, or any other instrument in the boat which may be used as one, tow it astern to aid in keeping the boat end-on to the sea....the object of this instrument being to hold the boat's stern, and prevent her being turned broadside to the sea or broached-to".
So bearing all of that in mind (if you were an experienced Edwardian Kiwi surf boat skipper) it makes sense to purchase a double-ended whaler. You can use the boat in either direction without having to turn her around (normally you would ship in the rudder if surf landing, steering by the oars only). Worsley never had a drogue...so how did he keep the Caird afloat in the Southern Ocean? Most of the time he used a sea anchor to keep the head of the boat up the wind but, this stopped the boat and just prolonged the experience resulting in the depletion of food and fresh water. They had to make way so, when they lost the sea anchor...it was probably a blessing in disguise because it forced them to press on!
As they were legally obliged to take a lifeboat, and any responsible owner and skipper would have ensured adequate boats, it made sense to commission one which could be of some use as a ship’s boat as well as a lifeboat. We already know both men had reservations about the two cutters suitability in the Southern Ocean. Therefore, we can assume that Leslies were told to build a lifeboat but to build it double ended, like a whaler, which would make it far more versatile in heavy following seas and on beach landings.
Seb:
The plan to sail to South Georgia began as soon as they abandoned the Endurance, in fact their original plan was to sail to the Falkland Islands. Shackleton, Worsley and Wild began to formulate plans for man-hauling the boats on sleds over the frozen surface of the sea toward Paulet Island, they knew there was a cache of supplies there from Nordenskjold's failed 1903 expedition aboard the sailing ship 'Antarctic'. The crushing of ships in Weddle Sea pack-ice, and small boat journeys was not a new thing...it had happened before! The 'Antarctic' was crushed 25 miles from Paulet Island and the crew were forced into the boats. Luckily Shackleton was armed with this knowledge and he knew about the perils of such a journey so at once he ordered Chippy McNish to make the largest boat (at this stage the Caird was unnamed) more seaworthy by raising her topsides. On November 21st, 1915, the Endurance sank. Over a period of 6 months McNish converted the James Caird into an extraordinary vessel with very limited resources. He did all this with four hand tools (adze, saw, hammer, and chisel) and help from the Orcadian crew man, Macleod.
Left: McNish (R) and McLeod (L) raising the strakes on the james Caird at Ocean Camp
49.
Cont. over....