#OldPulteneyTBT – Row To The Pole

#OldPulteneyTBT takes a look back at Row To The Pole, a momentous occasion in Old Pulteney history.

Five years on we are taking a look back at the momentous, Old Pulteney, Row To The Pole.  On Friday 29th July 2011, Artic explorer, Jock Wishart and his intrepid six-man crew set off to row to the Magnetic North Pole.  Four years in the planning, with a specially commissioned and designed ‘ice boat’ – aptly named – ‘The Old Pulteney’.  The bespoke boat was constructed to withstand some of the harshest conditions on earth and enable Jock and his crew to conquer one of the world’s last true firsts – the first ever attempt to row to a pole.

The unique rowing boat, was designed by yacht designer Peter Bosgraaf from Amsterdam in collaboration with Devon-based Hugh Welbourne and Roger Daynes, a leading British sledge designer. This vessel was the first rowing boat in the world to have a “cathedral hull” with sledge runners fitted underneath. This unique feature, combined with attachment points for harnesses, was designed specifically to enable the crew to drag the boat over the ice to” leads” they could row on to complete the final leg of their journey.

Once the boat set sail, there was nothing we could do here at Old Pulteney but sit and wait for the news.  There was many a challenge along the way with floating ice, collisions with icebergs and not to mention ice closing in on her almost completely – enough to threaten the whole expedition. Despite all the turmoil, success of this challenging expedition reached us on 26th August 2011 at 12.30am GMT and of course, we celebrated with a dram or two of Old Pulteney. 

As a final toast in celebration of the ‘The Old Pulteney’ reaching the Magnetic Pole, we are giving Old Pulteney fans the chance to win one of 100 Limited Edition commemorative Row to the Pole book.  

To find out more and enter our compettion visit our Facebook or Twitter from 11am on Thursday 25th of August 2015 until Friday 27th August 2016 , terms and conditions apply. In the meantime, you can find out more about the expedition – here.