Editing Ernest Shackleton (section)

=== Open-boat journey ===
{{Main|Voyage of the James Caird}}
[[File:LaunchingTheJamesCaird2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Launching the {{ship||James Caird|boat|2}} from the shore of [[Elephant Island]], 24 April 1916|alt=A black-and-white photograph of a group of people guiding the ''James Caird'' away from a shore]]

Elephant Island was an inhospitable place, far from any shipping routes. Rescue by means of a chance discovery was very unlikely, so Shackleton decided to risk an open-boat journey to the South Georgia whaling stations where he knew help would be available.{{sfn|Worsley|1931|pp=95–99}} The strongest of the tiny {{convert|20|ft|m|adj=on}} lifeboats, christened {{ship||James Caird|boat|2}} after the expedition's chief sponsor, was chosen for the trip.{{sfn|Worsley|1931|pp=95–99}}{{sfn|Barczewski|2007|p=105}} Ship's carpenter Harry McNish made various improvements, which included raising the sides, strengthening the keel, building a makeshift deck of wood and canvas, and sealing the work with oil paint and seal blood.{{sfn|Worsley|1931|pp=95–99}}

Shackleton chose five companions for the journey:{{sfn|Barczewski|2007|p=105}} the ship's captain Frank Worsley, who would be responsible for navigation; Tom Crean, who had "begged to go"; two strong sailors in [[John Vincent (sailor)|John Vincent]] and [[Timothy McCarthy (sailor)|Timothy McCarthy]]; and McNish.{{sfn|Worsley|1931|pp=95–99}} The carpenter had earlier clashed with Shackleton when the party was stranded on the ice but, while not forgetting his earlier insubordination, Shackleton recognised McNish's value for this particular job.{{efn|name=McNish's 'mutiny'}}{{sfn|Huntford|1985|pp=475, 656}}

Shackleton insisted on packing only enough supplies to last for four weeks, knowing that if they failed to reach South Georgia within that time, the boat and its crew would be lost.{{sfn|Alexander|1998|p=137}} The ''James Caird'' was launched on 24&nbsp;April 1916;{{sfn|Barczewski|2007|p=105}} during the next fifteen days, it sailed through the waters of the southern ocean, at the mercy of the stormy seas and in peril of capsizing. Thanks to Worsley's navigational skills, the cliffs of South Georgia came into sight on 8&nbsp;May, but hurricane-force winds prevented any possibility of landing. The party was forced to ride out the storm offshore, in continual danger of being dashed against the rocks. They later learned that the same storm had sunk a 500-ton steamer bound for South Georgia from Buenos Aires.{{sfn|Worsley|1931|p=162}}

The next day, they were able to land on the unoccupied southern shore, and a period of rest and recuperation followed. Rather than risking another sea journey to reach the whaling stations on the northern coast, Shackleton decided to attempt a land crossing of the island. Although it is likely that Norwegian whalers had already crossed the island at other points on ski, no one had previously attempted this particular route.{{sfn|Huntford|1985|p=574}} For their journey, the men were only equipped with boots they had adapted for climbing by pushing screws into the soles, a carpenter's [[adze]], and {{convert|50|ft}} of rope. Leaving McNish, Vincent and McCarthy at the landing point on South Georgia, Shackleton travelled with Worsley and Crean over {{convert|32|mi|km}}{{sfn|Shackleton, ''South'' (film)}} of dangerous mountainous terrain for 36&nbsp;hours, reaching the whaling station at [[Stromness (South Georgia)|Stromness]] on 20&nbsp;May.{{sfn|Worsley|1931|pp=211–212}}