Sledge-boats

Extract

Unstable sea ice conditions in 1955 and 1956 made it advisable to carry some form of boat during sledge journeys from the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (F.I.D.S.) station at Horseshoe Island, in Marguerite Bay, Graham Land. The account given of a sledge-boat in Hints to travellers (Vol. 2, 11th ed., 1938, p. 137) was followed, and a craft similar to that employed by the Oxford University Arctic Expedition of 1935-36 was constructed. When this boat was tested it was found to be unstable. This was due both to the saucer-shaped cross-section and to the fact that the whole load has to be placed on top of the sledge. These disadvantages were overcome by the incorporation into the design of a pair of skis, extended from the sledge outer longitudinal and runner on plywood struts. These widened the bottom of the boat and increased the stability. The new shape was intrinsically more stable, and it was also possible to place cargo in the bottom of the boat, thus lowering the centre of gravity.