 Karluk, leaving harbour during her career as a whaler
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Canada | |
| Name | Karluk |
| Builder | Matthew Turner's shipyard, Benicia, California |
| Launched | 1884 |
| Acquired | (by Canadian government) 1913 |
| Out of service | 1912 |
| Fate | Crushed by pack ice in the Arctic Ocean, January 1914 |
| Notes | US registry New York (1913 prior to Canadian service), San Francisco |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Brigantine |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 125.6 ft (38.3 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Draught | 16.5 ft (5.0 m) |
| Depth | 14.2 ft (4.3 m) |
| Decks | 2 |
| Ice class | sheathed |
| Installed power | 175 ihp (130 kW) |
| Propulsion | Coal fired steam and sail |
| Sail plan | brigantine |
| Speed | 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Notes | Canadian Registration |
Karluk was an American-built brigantine which, after many years' service as a whaler, was acquired by the Canadian government in 1913 to act as flagship to the Canadian Arctic Expedition. While on her way to the expedition's rendezvous at Herschel Island, Karluk became trapped in the Arctic pack ice and, after drifting for several months, was crushed and sank in January 1914. Of the 25 aboard (crew and expedition staff), eleven died, either during the attempts to reach land by marching over the ice, or after arrival at the temporary refuge of Wrangel Island.