Port Charcot
65°04' S, 64°00' W
Jean-Baptiste Charcot organized and led the French Antarctic Expedition aboard the Français. She was specially built for the purpose, strengthened at the waterline with transverse beams, and reinforced at the bow with iron. However, the engine, at 125 hp, was underpowered for the ship. Initially intending to head for the Arctic, Charcot learned that Nordenskjöld and his ship, the Antarctic, were missing and decided instead to head to Antarctica to search for them. He wrote to his friend and supporter Paul Pléneau, asking him to join the expedition. Pléneau replied, "Where you like. When you like. For as long as you like."
They departed from Le Havre on August 27th, 1903.
In Buenos Aires, Charcot learned that Nordenskjöld had been rescued, so the expedition redirected to the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula to build upon the discoveries of de Gerlache. Despite engine troubles, they discovered and named the excellent natural harbour of Port Lockroy, then continued through the Lemaire Channel to the Biscoe Islands. At 65°5′S, thick sea ice and additional engine issues forced them to retreat to Port Charcot (named after Charcot’s father), where they overwintered on the ship and built a hut for scientific work and as a potential emergency shelter.
After an 11-day winter trip to Petermann Island, the Français sailed on to Adelaide Island and sighted Alexander Island, 60 miles to the south. Pack ice prevented any further progress, so they turned back north. The ship struck a rock near Adelaide Island, and temporary repairs were made at Port Lockroy before limping back to Tierra del Fuego. There, Charcot learned that his wife had filed for divorce on the grounds of desertion.
The expedition charted over 600 miles of previously unknown coastlines and islands. In the following years, 18 volumes of scientific reports were published.
The findings of Charcot’s first voyage on the Français were well received by the scientific community, and he soon began preparing for a second Antarctic expedition. The name of his new ship, Pourquoi Pas? ("Why Not?"), came from an anecdote in his childhood. It is said that he once wrote the words on the side of a soapbox and launched himself and the box into a small pool in Neuilly-sur-Seine, where he grew up. The box sank and he got wet, but it marked the beginning of a lifelong spirit of adventure.
The Pourquoi Pas? was built specifically for the expedition from oak. She was stronger and faster than the Français. The expedition departed from Le Havre on August 15th, 1908, with a crew of 22, including 8 men who had served on the Français. Charcot’s new wife, Marguerite, accompanied the voyage as far as Punta Arenas.
After a stop at Deception Island, they proceeded to Petermann Island. On January 5th, the Pourquoi Pas? struck a submerged rock, which flooded the stern deck and tore off the false keel. Some repairs were carried out, and Charcot, unaware of the full extent of the damage, decided to continue south. The expedition crossed the Antarctic Circle and charted new coasts and islands. Adelaide Island, previously thought to be 8 miles long, was shown to be 70 miles in length. Marguerite Bay was discovered and named in honor of Charcot’s wife.
Pack ice prevented them from wintering in Matha Strait (south of Adelaide Island), so they returned to Petermann Island for the winter. There, four huts were constructed and lit by electricity generated on board the ship. The vessel was secured and tented over with canvas, and heavy steel-wire hawsers were strung across the entrance to the bay to prevent icebergs from entering.
Midwinter brought widespread malaise and depression. Charcot, in particular, became seriously ill and diagnosed himself with a heart condition. His legs became severely swollen, and he experienced painful difficulty breathing. A strict regime of fresh meat, physical exercise, and antiscorbutics (anti-scurvy remedies) brought significant improvement, but he remained too unwell to join the sledging party that later set out to survey Graham Land in the spring.
On November 25th, the ship sailed to Deception Island to resupply their coal reserves for a second winter. A diver inspecting the hull found that the earlier damage was far more serious than previously understood. Charcot was advised to return home. However, in an uncharacteristically reckless move, he withheld the full extent of the damage from his officers and crew. Determined to uphold the honour of his nation and his own reputation, he chose to sail south once more.
By mid-January 1910, they were navigating near the southern edge of Alexander Island, around 70°S, 77°W, when Charcot made his most important geographical discovery. He named it Charcot Land, in honor of his father. Ice conditions prevented a closer inspection, and further damage to the ship could not be risked.
On January 22nd, the expedition turned north and headed back to South America, arriving in Punta Arenas on February 11th to congratulatory telegrams from across the globe. The Pourquoi Pas? underwent extensive repairs in Montevideo, Uruguay, was scrubbed and painted in the Azores, and finally returned to France on June 4th.
In total, 1,250 miles of coastline had been surveyed, and the maps produced were still in use 25 years later. The scientific data gathered filled 28 volumes and included some of the 3,000 photographs taken during the journey.
Port Charcot lies on the northern coast of Booth Island (formerly named Wandel Island). It was discovered by Jean Baptiste Charcot in 1904 and named for his father. Charcot´s crew spent the winter of 1904 close by. Their ship, Français, was moored and the men slept onboard but established a shore station for scientific observations and as a potential emergency shelter.
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