| About the Project |
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Welcome to the 2005/6 HMS Endurance Tracking Project.
HMS Endurance is the Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol Vessel. She deploys each year in the autumn from her base port of Portsmouth in Hampshire, to the cold and ice of the Antarctica austral summer where she carries out operational duties on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the British Antarctic Survey and the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office. A commercially built icebreaker she was chartered by the Royal Navy as HMS Polar Circle in November 1991, being subsequently purchased and re-commissioned as HMS Endurance in 1992. She certainly lives up to her name with a range of 24,600 nautical miles at 12 knots on a fuel tank capacity of 1,200 cubic metres. Capable of making 50 tonnes of fresh water per day and she can also store 270 days’ worth of dry and frozen provisions.
In addition to seamanship, engineering and logistics, the Ship’s Company’s (Navyspeak for `crew’) skillset includes some of the Navy’s rarer specialisations - the diving team is led by a specialist diver, there is a six strong Royal Marines detachment trained in cold weather survival techniques, a team of Survey Recorders and a professional Naval Photographer with facilities for still and video work. Through this website, you can track the passage of HMS Endurance as she tackles her journey from the UK to the cold of the frozen south and `home’ again. Factfiles will be provided about various aspects of the journey - from eco-systems and wildlife at locations along the route to explanations of how HMS Endurance supports the work of organisations such as British Antarctic Survey, delivering the science that will inform our future understanding of Antarctica and our world’s environment. HMS Endurance’s motto is " Fortitudine Vincimus" ~ 'By Endurance We Conquer'. This motto originates from that of the great Antarctic explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton who made history in his ship, Endurance during his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1914-15. While the story of Shackleton’s Endurance expedition has been told many times, it is also a tale of the most amazing polar adventure. Endurance, a three-masted steam ship became trapped then crushed in the ice of the Weddell Sea. Over a period of some fifteen months Shackleton ensured his men’s survival, led them across the ice and sea to Elephant Island, then set off in one of the ship's small boats with four men to summon help for the remaining crew. Remarkably everyone survived. This is how the adventure began with an advertisement in the London papers: Men wanted for Hazardous Journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return journey doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success. Would you have volunteered for this journey? Amazingly, thousands did and while Ernest Shackleton’s expedition failed to reach its goal of reaching the South Pole, Ernest Shackleton is remembered today for his extraordinary leadership skills and ability to motivate people in the face of adversity:- “When disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton” Sir Edmund Hilary – the first person to successfully reach the top of Mount Everest Uniquely, this project contains the only historical information available on what happened to Ernest Shackleton’s crew once they were rescued from Antarctica. |
| Aims of the Project |
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The aims of this project are to increase everyone’s knowledge of the environment as a whole and show how the Royal Navy’s people contribute to a better world, shaping our lives beyond their traditional military capabilities.
Geographical region: Antarctica, South Africa, South Atlantic, Southern Ocean, UK. World History period: Ancient History, 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, 21st Century. Geography, Science and Citizenship Key Stage 1-2 supporting material. |
| Metlink - The weather recording project of The Royal Meteorological Society |
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For the 05/06 deployment, HMS Endurance is proud to be associated again with the flagship weather recording project of The Royal Meteorological Society.
During 2006, participants from around the world will be encouraged to make and exchange weather observations once a day by means of an on-line database and, with the help of meteorological professionals, interpret the observations. The project supports Geography, Science and ICT for primary and secondary schools (ages 7 –19) but it is also open to individuals of any age should you wish to take part. In 2005, HMS Endurance recorded some amazing weather phenomena – from some of the windiest weather recorded in the project by any of the participants - to sightings of icebergs and bergy bits!
The dates for Metlink 2006 are: 30th January – 10th February 25th September – 29th September However simple your weather recording instruments, you can take part in this project. For further information, www.metlink.org |
| Reckless and Anchor – Adventure Bears |
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Joining HMS Endurance as part of the Ship’s Company this deployment, are Reckless and Anchor, two brave bears from the ship’s affiliated schools in Hampshire
Reckless is the mascot of Crofton Hammond Junior School in Stubbington, while Anchor is the mascot of Manor Field Infant School in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Reckless is an experienced bear, with lots of global adventures under his belt. He has been a fundamental part of Crofton Hammond’s geography curriculum for the past six years and has previously been lucky enough to visit China, America, Russia and every country in Europe. Reckless also took part in the spectacular International Fleet Review this summer when in her capacity as Lord High Admiral of the Fleet, Her Majesty the Queen reviewed 167 ships from 35 countries (the most ever represented at a naval review) from HMS Endurance.
How will Reckless and Anchor cope in Antarctica? As the ultimate challenge for any person – not just brave bears from Hampshire, their adventures will form part of our National Curriculum supporting material. |
| Charitable Support – Hampshire Autistic Children |
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Every deployment, HMS Endurance chooses a number of charities to increase public awareness of and raise funds for, and this deployment is no exception.
For their 2005/6 deployment, the Officers of HMS Endurance are delighted to support the Hampshire Autistic Society.
The Society has a school and education services for up to 60 students from the ages of 4 to 19, adult residential and day services, a parent support group network, advocacy, respite care, a training seminar programme. This worthwhile charity also runs courses to provide help for parents of pre-school age children and promotes awareness of the disability through a lending library and information centre. Apart from the Officers of HMS Endurance holding charitable events to raise money this deployment for the Hampshire Autistic Society, both Crofton Hammond Junior School and Manor Park Infant School will be supporting the charity with their own fund raising and Autistic Awareness days. Consequently, the Officers of HMS Endurance would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the wonderful support being given to them by Crofton Hammond Junior and Manor Park Infant Schools with their charitable aims. Thank you! To find out more about Autism, the aims of the Hampshire Autistic Society or even to make a donation on-line in the name of HMS Endurance’s charitable support visit: www.has.org.uk Hampshire Autistic Soceity 1634 Parkway Solent Business Park Whiteley Fareham Hampshire PO15 7AH |
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