Aurora (boat)

See also: Aurora

The Voilier with vapor Aurora was built in 1876 by the Shipyard Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd. Dundee, of Glasgow in Scotland on behalf of the Dundee Company of hunting for the seals and whales (Dundee Seal and Whale Fishing Company). It was initially used in the North Sea and its construction enabled him to resist the bad weather and the frequent ices in these trimmings. This solidity was to thereafter enable him to take part in the forwardings varied around the sphere.

Drive out with the whale

From 1876 to 1910, the Aurora made each year the voyage from Glasgow with Saint John (Newfoundland, Canada) to drive out the seal and the whale in Arctic water. During this period it known some remarkable adventures. In 1884 the Aurora tried without success to save the Expédition Greely to touch the money of the reward and in 1891 the ship saved the crew of the Polynia whose boat had been run by the ices.

Douglas forwarding Mawson

See also: Forwarding Aurora

In 1910 the ship was bought by the geologist Douglas Mawson for its Australasian Expédition in the Antarctic. The Aurora transported forwarding in December 1911 of Hobart in Tasmanie until the island Macquarie which had been selected like base camp of the operations of Mawson. Once the installed base, forwarding took again the sea for bay of the Commonwealth in the Antarctic, which it reached the January 7th 1912. The boat unloaded Mawson and its team in Cape Denison and the crew took part in the construction of the “hut of Mawson” where forwarding was to winter, then the Aurora took again the road for Hobart not to be trapped by the Banquise during the winter.

In December 1912, the Aurora returned to seek the members of forwarding but discovered that Douglas Mawson, Xavier Mertz, and Belgrave Ninnis had left in forwarding in sledge and had still not returned. The captain awaited their return but the Mouillage of bad quality and the winds extremely violent one involved the chain breakage of anchor. At the end of January the ship had to give up forwarding not to be blocked for the winter by the ices. The Aurora left with ground a team of 6 men with full provisions then took the broad one. Mawson, only survivor of forwarding in sledge, arrived just in time to see the Aurora disappearing at the horizon.

The Aurora returned in bay of Commenwealth the December 12th 1913 where it recovered the seven men and turned over in Australia.

Forwarding the Trans-Antarctic 1914-1916

See also: Forwarding Endurance

In 1914, to sir Ernest Shackleton charged the Aurora with taking part in the creation of deposits of provisioning on the future course of the Imperial Expédition Transantartique. After delaybeing delayed by the ice-barrier in the Strait McMurdo, the Aurora succeeds in cutting through its path towards the south and could deposit with ground in January 1915 the team chargeds to set up the deposits. The Aurora went then in the Discovery Bay where it wet on March 12th, 1915 and continued to discharge from the supply. In May the Aurora was blocked in the ices then pushed back towards the broad one giving up the men who were setting up the deposits. The boat could escape the ices only the February 12th 1916, date on which it turned over to Port Chalmers in New Zealand to carry out repairs, port that it reached on April 3rd.

Rescue of the group of the sea of Ross (1917)

After the legendary epopee of the forwarding of the Endurance in Sea of Weddell, Ernest Shackleton arrived to New Zealand in December 1916. It was taught him that the team of the sea of Ross was blocked in the Antarctic. The Aurora having been repaired and after discussion with the captain of the ship, Shackleton embarked and put the course on the island of Ross to repatriate its men. January 10th, 1917, the boat met the ice close to Cape Royds and moved towards Cape Evans. One week later Shackleton and the 7 survivors of the team of the sea of Ross, who could have been recovered, took again the direction of Wellington in New Zealand.

Disappearance

The disappearance of the Aurora intervened the same year. The Aurora was seen for the last time whereas it left the port of Newcastle in News-Wales of the South with a loading of coal to rejoin Iquique with the Chile. Lloyd' S of London declared it lost the January 2nd 1918. It is thought that the disappearance of the boat is to be put on the account of the First World War.

Captains of Aurora

Here a list partial of the captains of the Aurora :

  • J. Fairweather (about 1882 - about 1886)

  • Jackman (about 1895)
  • John King Davis (1911-1914, 1916-Loss of the ship)
  • Aeneas Lionel Acton Mackintosh (1914-1916)

References

  • The SY Aurora

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