 Quest | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry | |
| Builder | Erik Lindstøls Båtbyggeri,Risør |
| Launched | 1917 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Foundered 5 May 1962 in theLabrador Sea |
| General characteristics | |
| Type |
|
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 110 ft 7 in (33.71 m) |
| Beam | 24 ft 9 in (7.54 m) |
| Depth of hold | 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Sail plan | Schooner[1] |
Quest was a low-powered,schooner-riggedsteamship that sailed from 1917 until sinking in 1962, best known as the polar exploration vessel of theShackleton–Rowett Expedition of 1921–1922. It was aboard this vessel thatSir Ernest Shackleton died on 5 January 1922 while in harbour inSouth Georgia.[2] Prior to and after the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition,Quest operated in commercial service as aseal-hunting vessel or "sealer".Quest was also the primary expedition vessel of theBritish Arctic Air Route Expedition to the east coast of the island ofGreenland in 1930–1931.
Quest was 111 feet (34 m) in length, had a beam of 24 feet (7.3 m), and 12 feet (3.7 m) depth of hold.[3] The vessel has been variously rated at 209 and 214gross register tons,[1] possibly due to the 1924 refit described below.
Quest was built in 1917 inRisør, Norway, originally as the wooden-hulled sealerFoca I.[1][4] She was the polar expedition vessel of theShackleton–Rowett Expedition of 1921–1922 and was renamedQuest by LadyEmily Shackleton, the wife of expedition commanderErnest Shackleton.[5] At the expense of expedition financierJohn Quiller Rowett, the small ship was refitted for the expedition with modifications overseen by sailing masterFrank Worsley, including re-rigging and the addition of adeckhouse.[6] As Shackleton was a member of theRoyal Yacht Squadron,Quest bore the RYS suffix for this voyage and flew theWhite Ensign.[5]
Sailing from London for theSouthern Ocean on 17 September 1921,Quest reachedSouth Georgia on 4 January 1922 while preparing to enter Antarctic waters. The following night, Shackleton died aboard the vessel while she was at anchor inGrytviken, ending all prospects of the expedition carrying out its original program of exploring the Antarctic coastline ofEnderby Land.[5] Led byFrank Wild,Quest carried out a desultory survey of theWeddell Sea area before returning to the South Atlantic. She touched theTristan da Cunha archipelago in early May,[6] and atInaccessible Island, ornithologistHubert Wilkins took type specimens of thegrosbeak bunting.
The expedition returned to England in July 1922, having posted disappointing results attributed by authorRoland Huntford both to replacement commander Wild's alcoholism,[5] and deficiencies inQuest's performance in polar sea ice. The ship'sengine was weakly powered and caused continuous difficulties, and the vessel's straightstem made her unsuitable for use in icy seas.[6]
Quest was again refitted in Norway in 1924; during the refit, the Shackleton–Rowett deckhouse was salvaged for shore use.[7] In 1928, the refitted vessel participated in the effort to rescue the survivors of theItalia Arctic airship crash. Described as a "broad-beamed, tubby little ship, decks stacked with gear", the ageing sealer served in 1930 as the primary expedition vessel and transport from London toeastern Greenland for the explorers of theBritish Arctic Air Route Expedition led byGino Watkins.[8] Between 1932 and 1936, she was the expedition ship for the East Greenland ventures of CountGaston Micard [fr].[9]
Quest returned to service as a sealing vessel after 1930. In 1935 she was used by the British East Greenland Expedition. DuringWorld War II the wooden-hulled vessel was pressed into service as aminesweeper and light cargo vessel withNortraship and the British navy.[1][2] The small ship returned to her owners' sealing trade in 1946.[1] On 5 May 1962, while on a seal-hunting expedition,Quest was holed by crushing ice and sank off the north coast ofLabrador. The crew was saved.[1][2]
Parts of the former deckhouse, including Shackleton's cabin in 1921–1922, survive and, as of 2021 are in theAthy Heritage Center – Museum in Ireland.[10] Thecrow's nest, made from a barrel, is in the crypt ofAll Hallows-by-the-Tower, London.[11]
An archival collection of 476 photographs from theQuest/Shackleton-Rowett Expedition is maintained by theState Library of New South Wales inSydney, Australia.[12]
Quest was located on 9 June 2024 at the bottom of theLabrador Sea, about 85 kilometres (53 mi) off Labrador's east coast and about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) from her last reported position, by a wreck hunting team led byJohn Geiger of theRoyal Canadian Geographical Society on the search vessel LeeWay Odyssey (Levi Nippard, captain).[13][2][14][15] She was found at a depth of 390 metres (1,280 ft) of water, sitting almost upright, and appearing to be broadly intact save for a broken main mast.[14][16] The team included shipwreck hunterDavid Mearns and lead researcher geographer Antoine Normandin; the explorer's granddaughter Hon. Alexandra Shackleton was co-patron of the expedition along with Chief Mi'sel Joe ofMiawpukek First Nation.[2]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1962 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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53°10′N54°27′W / 53.167°N 54.450°W /53.167; -54.450
Media related toQuest (ship, 1917) at Wikimedia Commons
