Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

May 6 finds the men trying to sail northeasterly but being buffeted by northwesterly winds. Worsley determines that they are a mere 91 miles from the island of South Georgia, but the sea starts to rise in enormous waves. Despite Worsley’s protestations, Shackleton gives the order to drop the sail. The emotional strain experienced by Shackleton manifests itself when he becomes enraged by the appearance of an annoying small bird who lands on the boat, and begins “swearing and batting furiously at the bird” (304). Ashamed of his poor example to the men, Shackleton reverts to his usual, composed form.

A second cask of drinking water is opened and found to be fouled by sea water, in addition to the fact that half the volume of the cask had leaked out. Nonetheless, the men are forced to consume it. They must land before they deplete their one-week supply of now-brackish drinking water. One small navigational error represents the difference between life and death; if they miss South Georgia, there are no other land masses prior to South Africa, a distance of 3,000 miles.

Shackleton announces that food and water consumption must be cut in order to preserve stores. All hands crowd the helm for hours in the hope of sighting the island.