22nd March 2012

PORTLAND: Shackleton's granddaughter launches boat for epic voyage

By Harry Walton

TRADITION rubbed shoulders with legend when a replica lifeboat was launched at Portland.

The Alexandra Shackleton was named after the grandaughter of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

A team of adventurers led by renowned Antarctic explorer and environmental scientist Tim Jarvis will use her in an attempt to re-enact Shackleton’s epic voyage across the Southern Ocean from Elephant Island to South Georgia.

Three of the six-man expedition will then traverse the interior of South Georgia to try and reach the abandoned whaling station of Stromness where Shackleton raised the alarm during the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917.

That legendary rescue journey was nearly a century ago and no one since has been able to replicate Shackleton’s “double”.

Tim Jarvis told the View: “The Alexandra Shackleton is an exact replica of the James Caird lifeboat used by Shackleton for his epic voyage.

“The oceans down there are some of the roughest in the world but we are looking forward to recreating Shackleton’s voyage.”

Among those with him will be Petty Officer Seb Coulthard who said: “When you think about Shackleton’s tremendous journey, what a feat of endurance and bravery it was.

“Now it is being done in modern times and I think it will be quite a challenge.”

For Alexandra Shackleton the ceremony at Portland Marina was the first time she had seen the lifeboat with her name on it.

She said: “She looks wonderful and I think my grandfather would be very pleased.

“It is a tribute to leadership and leadership is always of interest to people. Events like this keep the pioneering spirit going.”

She was then involved in various traditional ceremonies from champagne toasts to mast raising and garlanding the lifeboat, also presenting Trevor Potts with a silver penny specially struck by the Royal Mint for him to place under the butt of the mast. Mr Potts had sailed on a 1993 expedition from Elephant Island to South Georgia.

The Island Voices community choir entertained guests with sea shanties before the lifeboat was finally given a taste of the sea when it was lowered into the water by a giant forklift.

PICTURE 1: Alexandra Shackleton garlands the lifeboat

PICTURE 2: A TOAST TO THE LIFEBOAT - Weymouth and Portland mayoress Mary Winter, Alexandra Shackleton, expedition member WO2 Barry Gray, Weymouth and Portland mayor Graham Winter, expedition member PO Seb Coulthard and expedition leader Tim Jarvis

PORTLAND: Shackleton's granddaughter launches boat for epic voyage

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