"It's one of the world's most famous shipwrecks, marooned nearly 10,000 feet deep beneath the surface of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. Endurance, owned by legendary Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton, sank in November 1915 after it became crushed by dense sea ice. Until now, experts have claimed a weakness in the rudder was the supposedly fatal flaw that caused the 144ft-long sailing vessel to founder."
"Jukka Tuhkuri, a professor of solid mechanics at Aalto University in Finland, claims Endurance had numerous structural weaknesses that made it notably less robust than other early polar vessels. Endurance lacked a strong structural skeleton, and was never properly equipped to withstand the immense inward pressure of dense ice. Remarkably, Ernest Shackleton was well aware of the ship's deficiencies before he set sail, according to the expert."
"His study, incorporating both technical analysis and research into diaries and correspondence, suggests Endurance was simply not fit for purpose. Endurance had several structural deficiencies compared with other early Antarctic ships, including weaker deck beams and frames made of oak and pine. Meanwhile, the 'vulnerable' machine compartment - the part of the ship containing the main machinery, in this case the steam engine - was longer leading to serious weakening in a significant part of the hull."
The ship Endurance sank in November 1915 after becoming crushed by dense sea ice in the Weddell Sea. Structural analysis and archival research reveal multiple design and construction shortcomings, including weaker deck beams, frames of oak and pine, and a lack of a strong structural skeleton. The engine-room area was unusually long, weakening a critical portion of the hull. These deficiencies made the vessel less robust than contemporary polar ships and unable to withstand immense inward ice pressure. Ernest Shackleton was reportedly aware of the ship's deficiencies before departure.
Read at Mail Online
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