The last voyage of the Karluk : Flagship of Vilhjalmar Stefansson's Canadian Arctic expedition of 1913-16

In the spring of 1913, the sturdy brigantine Karl Kuk set sail from Esquimalt as the flagship of a bold Canadian Arctic expedition. Led by explorer Vilhjalmar Stefansson and captained by the seasoned mariner Robert Bartlett, the crew of twenty‑four set out to chart the frozen north and study its natural wonders. Within weeks the ship found itself trapped in a relentless ice pack, the snow sealing a cold blanket around the hull and turning the sea into a silent, shifting fortress.

As the ice thickened, the crew faced dwindling supplies, brutal temperatures, and the constant threat of the hull being crushed. Bartlett kept a meticulous diary, recording each day’s struggle and the uneasy morale of his men, while the scientists clung to their research hopes amid the growing desperation. The early months of the drift become a test of endurance, leadership, and the thin line between survival and surrender.