HMCS Karluk

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	321 GRT 208 NRT
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.