JAMES CAIRD SOCIETY SHACKLETON NEWS

STUCK IN THE ICE, LIKE SHACKLETON

It didn't only happen in Shackleton's day! The '70South' antarctic website and the website Antarctic Philately from New Zealand reported that the American icebreaking research ship Nathaniel B Palmer took a leaf out of Endurance's book by becoming stuck fast in the ice near the Antarctic Peninsula for several days during late October 2001. The ship was about 60 miles from the ice edge and wedged between Adelaide and Alexander Islands, with rafts of sea ice 65 feet deep around it. However a few days later it succeed in freeing itself and headed safely for Punta Arenas.

The Nathaniel B. Palmer was named to commemorate the American credited with being the first to see Antarctica. Nathaniel Brown Palmer, then only 21 years old, commanded the 14-meter sloop Hero, which on 16 and 17 November 1820 entered Orleans Strait and came very close to the Antarctic Peninsula, reaching about 63° 45' South. Later in life Palmer won wealth and fame as a pioneer clipper ship master and designer.