Quotes from Alfred Lansing

they were primarily pulling boats, designed for rowing, not sailing.

If they were to get out—they had to get themselves out.

Before long the rain turned into sleet, then hail that drummed across the decking.

Shackleton estimated the shelf ice off the Palmer Peninsula—the nearest known land—to be 182 miles WSW of them.

The nearest known place where they might at least find food and shelter was tiny Paulet Island

The Caird's bow was brought up into the wind, and the long wait for daybreak was begun.

Unlike the land, where courage and the simple will to endure can often see a man through, the struggle against the sea is an act of physical combat, and there is no escape. It is a battle against a tireless enemy in which man never actually wins; the most that he can hope for is not to be defeated. It gave Shackleton

Only an estimate could be made of the wind's actual speed, though it was at least 65 knots.

The rollers that raced shoreward were perhaps 40 feet high, maybe more.

It seemed inconceivable, but during the morning hours the wind actually rose

close to 80 knots out of the southwest

Their tongues were swollen with thirst

Then, at just about two o'clock, they saw where they were.

in that single glimpse they saw to their terror that they were only a short distance outside the line of breakers

frozen, like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar.

No importa qué posibilidades tenga, un hombre no pone su última esperanza en algo y luego espera que ese algo fracase.

No choice remained but to hoist sail and try to claw their way offshore into the teeth of this fiendish gale.

Shackelton rushed aft and took over the lines of the tiller from Crean.

Shackleton shouted excitedly to McNeish and Vincent below to shift ballast

They became aware of it suddenly just after four o'clock

craggy peak off the port bow. It was Annenkov Island

And they realized at once that it lay directly in their path.

with the possible exception of the Fram, the vessel used by Fridtjof Nansen, and later by Amundsen.

just to be in his presence was an experience. It was what made Shackleton so great a leader.