The Point of No Return (Chapters 1-3 of Part IV)

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Alfred Lansing

"But this time there was no turning back, and they all knew it."
page 160

One of the ships used by the crew.

As the crew in their three ships were searching for land, the gravity of their condition sank in.  They realized that their choice to abandon their camp on the ice floe was irrevocable, and no efforts could be made to find a safe haven.  They now had to suffer the tortures that constantly plagued them, such as extreme cold, wet, strong winds, and illness. 

I note various, though much less dramatic, points of no return quite frequently, especially during the school year.  Being a notorious worrier, I am extremely hesitant to turn in any test.  The journey to the teachers desk to turn in my tests seems like crossing the ocean, and on the way I question my work constantly.  Usually, I consider turning back to check my work over.  However, despite the awareness of my academic peril, once I reach the desk, I cannot turn back; I have reached the point of no return and of no chance to edit my work.  I am forced to throw my test down as a castaway sailor would jump into an unpromising looking boat. 

Because of the miserable perils on the open ocean, morale dropped again.  In addition, the crew turned out to be drifting farther away from their destination.  This scene of irony drove some men to hopelessness.  "They were 124 miles nearly due east of King George Island and 61 miles southeast of Clarence Island-22 miles farther from land than when they had launched the boats from Patience Camp three days before!"  After the crew set sail for another island, Orde-Lees proved to be one of the main sources of anger that once again threatened to divide the group.  Almost constantly, he sought to avoid rowing, in which he was successful because the majority of people were glad to take his place in the hopes that they would warm.  His actions provoked very open spite.  Nearly everybody on his ship threw curses at him and ate in front of him hoping that it would make him ill. 

Another crack threatened to appear.