Have you heard of Shackleton?
If you ever go on a voyage or a cruise; just pray that the captain follows or at least knows who is Shackleton!
He is perhaps one of the greatest captains ever!
This is a two part blog!
The first is the adventure and feats of this great captain and the next one would be how he managed the impossible!
In the novel the Laws of Human Nature; Robert Greene tells the adventure of Shackleton and his Endurance expedition!
The story is a great example of bravery and persistence and HOPE! Above all it is the best example of a leader! One who leads by example and does not leave anyone behind!
The story forms the first blog!
August 1914, Shackleton and his crew set sail on the Endurance.
By January 1915, the ship became hopelessly trapped in the heavy pack ice of the Weddell Sea!
Instead of panicking, the crew converted the ship into a winter station, enduring months of complete polar darkness and freezing temperatures!
But thenin October 1915, Ship Sinks! The shifting ice crushes the hull of the Endurance making it sink.
Immediately Shackleton ordered the crew to abandon ship, salvaging three small lifeboats, supplies, and photographic plates. In November, they watched as the ship sank completely into the ocean!
For the next five months, the men lived in tents on shifting, drifting ice floes! Five months in tensts with every day being uncertain or no existent!
Then came another challenge! By April 1916, their ice floe began to split apart. Shackleton ordered the crew into the three open lifeboats. After six grueling days navigating freezing spray and stormy seas, they reached the desolate, uninhabited rocks of Elephant Island! Even this was super human effort but the challenge was not done yet! A bigger one was yet to come!
Though it was the was the first time they had touched land in 497 days, it was futile since Shackleton knew that no rescue ships would ever pass Elephant Island!
Then Shackleton made a desperate choice. He took the best 22-foot lifeboat, named the James Caird, and five crew members to seek help!
They sailed 800 miles across the Drake Passage—the most dangerous ocean corridor in the world—navigating through 60-foot waves and hurricane winds using only a compass and sextant!
Against all odds, they reached South Georgia Island after 13 days!
You would think that this is finally the end! But it was not so! Because of the weather, they landed on the uninhabited side of South Georgia Island!
Shackleton and two men had to trek 32 miles across uncharted, glacier-covered mountains to reach the Stromness whaling station!
They completed the march in 36 hours!
By the way now Shackleton had reached the comfort of civilization! He could simply put his foot down or up and chill! He was alive and safe against all odds! But being Shackleton; he did want the greatest captains ever would do!
Shackleton immediately secured a rescue ship!
On August 30, 1916, he returned to Elephant Island and successfully evacuated the remaining 22 men. Not a single member of the crew died!
I am assuming that after this Shackleton did take some well deserved rest! Everyone likes a happy ending but only a few work towards it and how! Well the how part will come in tomorrow’s blog!
For now do read about Shackleton and maybe give him a silent salute…
You can also give a salute to the acting prowess of Sudeep Sanjeev aka Kicha Sudeep!
Now don’t lose your sleep over the next blog! No surprises there!
Shub ratri…
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