Voyage of the Scotia 1902-04

The Ship

Frozen deck and rigging on the Scotia

This photograph vividly illustrates one of the major problems encountered on the polar expedition ship SY Scotia during the 1902-1904 Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, organised and led by Scottish scientist and explorer William S Bruce.

Not only was snow and ice on deck an obvious hazard, as can be clearly seen here, but on the upper masts and in the rigging it could interfere with the manipulation of the sails. This could upset the stability of the vessel.

There was also danger in conditions of thaw, when large lumps of ice were liable to crash down from the rigging on to the deck - or, even worse, on top of some unsuspecting crew member.