“Icebound: The Last Voyage of the SHEILA YEATES” describes the true story of skipper Geoff Pope who, along with his 50-foot ketch and his six-member crew, became trapped in the ice off the coast of Greenland in July, 1989.
Carried by pack ice farther into the North Atlantic and past any range of rescue, Geoff believed they were “seven dead guys”. This incredible high seas adventure, with photography by crewmemebers and subsequent filmed interviews with Geoff, shares the tale of loss, endurance and the power of men and ships to change lives.
This multimedia project, which includes the film and an interactive website, was created by Richard and Christine Olsenius through their friendship with Geoff and the impact the loss of his ship had on him. Both filmmakers waited over 20 years to tell the tale and now, in tribute to Geoff and his crew, they have made the story of SHEILA YEATES available for viewing.
Clicking on the following photograph will take you directly to the film that’s hosted on their website. We invite you to view that film as well as the entire website to see their dedicated work. This story was brought to our attention by our sailmaker friend, Nat Wilson, who was aboard during this epic voyage.
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Raymond Morgan says:
Wow! How sad. At least he gave it a shot. I admire him for that. Beautiful boat. Thank you again for an impressive story.
Morgan
Michael Naumann says:
What an impressive man, what a moving and hard story. Thank you for posting this. These images are unforgettable.
Hank Kennedy says:
The story brought a tear to my eyes. It was a very well done documentary. It brought me back years to a rescue I was involved in. No ice or heavy weather, but she was clearly in trouble. we got the crew and some gear off her. The Coastguard air dropped pumps, but they couldn’t keep up with the water and ultimately we had to just watch as she went down.
Hank