Iceberg Alley

by Jo Stewart - an

Shackleton Epic blogger Jo Stewart

London to Istanbul by dinghy via rivers and canals | Classic Boat Magazine

London to Istanbul by dinghy part one. Classic Boat Magazine: 

"London to Istanbul by dinghy part one"
Over the rivers, through the canals and tunnels - rowing, sailing a small boat from London to Istanbul on inland waterways.  Giacomo deStefano and crew  did it all.  Curiosity rather than grandiosity seems to drive him. - gwc

h/t Jesse Fradkin
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Alexandra Shackleton Lands on South Georgia Island

Tim Jarvis and crew have landed where Sir Ernest Shackleton and crew landed in 1916 after an 800 mile journey from Elephant Island, Antarctica Shackleton and crew were half starved and met conditions almost unimaginably worse than those Jarvis, et al encountered.
Now that they have landed the next step of the re-enactment is to hike across the mountains and glaciers of South Georgia Island to the old whaling station at Stromness Bay.

What does your desk look like?

Linked In had this cute series today of some famous people's desks.  None appealed to me.  Not Branson's palm trees, not Pickens busy desk, and certainly not Deepak Chopra's private temple.  Here's my hero's - Shackleton's cabin aboard the Endurance. Thanks to Royal Geographic Society.

Alex Thomson Tells it Like it is - Vendée Globe 2012-2013

finishing at les Sables D'Olonne, France

Alex Thomson, the engaging British sailor took a third in the Vendee Globe - Around the World in 80 Days, single-handed, non-stop, no outside assistance.  Plague half the time by problems with his hydrogenerators, the gregarious slo sailor had to operate under minimal power.  Very tough for these racers who spend a lot of their time peering at a computer screen to study the weather and plot their courses. - GWC
Alex Thomson Tells it Like it is - Vendée Globe 2012-2013:

Wednesday, January 30 2013  Alex Thomson sailed into the legendary canal, the artery into the heart of Les Sables d’Olonne this morning at typically breakneck speed. With more than 30 kts of wind and mountainous seas Thomson was in no mood to hang around.Taking third place in the Vendée Globe, the solo non stop race around the world which has dominated his life for the last ten years and which he had twice failed to finish, Alex Thomson set a new non-stop round the world record for a solo British sailor, smashed the existing race record set by Michel Desjoyeaux in 2008-2009, and became only the third ever British skipper to finish on the podium.His result exorcised many of the ghosts of his past failures, most particularly abandoning his Open 60 in 2006 in the South Indian Ocean when his keel feel off during the Velux 5 Oceans, retiring from the last two Vendée Globes – the 2008-9 edition after just 24 hours – and retiring from the 2009 Transat Jacques Vabre after hitting a floating object.After 80 days at sea Thomson finally enjoyed the traditional Vendée Globe welcome afforded by the thousands who lined the banks of the canal. Three times he has loved the rousing send off on start day, but at last this was the welcome back that he had craved since he first set out on his Open 60 ocean racing career back in 1999.In a warmly received press conference Thomson was thanked for his recent actions in moving to stand by friend and rival Jean-Pierre Dick, shepherding the French skipper who has lost his keel off Virbac-Paprec 3, through a night of brutal winds and big seas before heading north to the finish.He spoke of the vital repairs he had to make to his hydrogenerators which kept his hopes of finishing alive, of the pleasure in staying with the faster, newer generation of IMOCA Open 60’s, doggedly hanging on the leaders. And at the end of it all, having finally realised his long held ambition, he made his French hosts smile when he confirmed that he had arrived dreaming only of ‘the golden arches’ longing for a Big Mac and lots of mayonnaise!

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Cod's End?

Image by Neal Parent

Gloucestermen

Mark Kurlansky's wonderful book Cod showed how important was the fish in the history of the Atlantic nations.  Today's report - a 77% cut in the permissible catch - signals the end of an era.

Alexandra Shackleton: halfway to South Georgia Island

Baz Gray at the helm, Day 6     Halfway

Wind Chill - Ice boating on Ft. Peck Lake, Montana

Fort Peck Lake is a 141 mile reservoir created by the dam of the same name on the Missouri River in Montana.  Perfect for Iceboating.  If you don't mind - 15F and the wind chill.  Here goes on the aptly named Wingnut 3.  h/t Jess Fradkin

Hunter Island sanctuary -Pelham Bay Park

Hunter Island sanctuary, Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx is a regular haunt of mine - a salt marsh, glacial outcroppings, and a protected bay.  Today James and I saw hundreds of ducks swarming and snaking. (click on pix to enlarge and for slideshow)

Shackleton Epic | Stormy Weather

The Shackleton lifeboat replica crew is seasick, tired, wet, and hungry.  And their electricals (radio, AIS) are on the fritz. Blogger Jon Stewart reports from the support vessel Australis.  - gwc
Shackleton Epic | Stormy Weather: "Last night was one of those ‘what the heck am I doing here?’ kind of nights… but I guess 7 metre, stomach churning, swells will do that to you. The stoic crew of the Alexandra Shackleton had to engage in a mighty arm wrestle just to get her to hold her course. But she survived the barrage of waves raining down from all directions to break into the daylight virtually unscathed from the wild weather.

It was a rough night indeed, featuring a rogue wave that picked up our support boat, the Australis, and carelessly tossed her 5 metres sideways – sending Joe French the cameraman from Raw TV careening through the air, smashing face first into the ceiling. "



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