Shackleton's Endurance, 1915.
Posted on 12/28/2013 11:41:35 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
SYDNEY (AP) — A Chinese icebreaker that was en route to rescue a ship trapped in Antarctic ice was forced to turn back on Saturday after being unable to push its way through the heavy sea ice.
The Snow Dragon icebreaker came within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which has been stuck since Christmas Eve, but had to retreat after the ice became too thick, said expedition spokesman Alvin Stone.
The Akademik Shokalskiy, which has been on a research expedition to Antarctica, got stuck Tuesday after a blizzard's whipping winds pushed the sea ice around the ship, freezing it in place. The ship wasn't in danger of sinking, and there are weeks' worth of supplies for the 74 scientists, tourists and crew on board, but the vessel cannot move.
Three icebreakers, including the Snow Dragon, have been trying to reach the ship since Wednesday. France's L'Astrolabe made it to the edge of the sea ice surrounding the ship on Saturday, but called off its mission after it, too, failed to break through, said Lisa Martin, spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is coordinating the rescue.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Shackleton's Endurance, 1915.
Ernie was one incredible leader.
The sad part of the story is that most of the guys who survived were killed fighting in WW1.
They’re socially backward
Global Warming guru Algore – wearing his ever present Nobel medal – is seen here en-route to an important “scientific” conference in Nassau hosted by the UN/IPCC where he was to be the keynote speaker.
Topics on the agenda were to have included “Finding a Good Bail Bondsman,” “Not ALL Criminal Lawyers Are Sharks,” “Changing Careers for Dummies,” “You Want Fries With That?,” “How To Encrypt Emails,” “The Best Prison Jobs,” “Getting Along With Your Cellmate” and “Getting Used to Sleeping On Your Back.”
A sudden – and unfortunate – blast of what the “scientist” in charge of the conference termed “global warming” caused the meeting to be rescheduled until Algore can be thawed some time next Spring – assuming there will BE one.
Our reporter has learned that the influential conservative web site Free Republic has launched a contribution drive to rent a freezer locker in which to keep Gore for the 10 to 15 years estimated it will take for the so-called “mainstream media” to begin covering the Climategate story.
That’s funny !!!
If they get hungry enough, there's at least some food around.
They listened to AlGore. They were expecting sunshine, sand and tropical drinks.
Good question, but more to the point, what was a Chinese ice breaker doing in Antarctic waters?
You don't think they're dumb enough to believe Algore, do you?
If I can't do that, I spend all of my time looking for a place in the sun and out of the wind.
What is wrong with these people other than they have way too much disposable income?
Don’t a darn thing about ice and ships but how do ‘ice breaking ships’ do the chore?
Thanx I’ll be here ti sunday
The 3rd icebreaker making the attempt is from Australia. They seem to have some concerns about making it through such thick ice. Detailed here.
You know everyone on the ship believes the hoax of Global Warming.
They run up on the ice with the bow of the ship and the weight of it drives it downward and breaks the ice immediately underneath. After a while it creates a path by which a stranded ship can follow them out of danger and back to open water. If the ice is too thick the bow won’t be able to crack the ice and the ship will have to reverse thrust to get itself back off the ice sheet.
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