 The Quest, a 111-foot (34 m) two-masted sealing ship sourced from Norway, set sail on 18 September 1921. Problems soon arose; the ship did not sail well and it leaked. There were also problems with the engine. A week was spent in Portugal undergoing repairs, and after crossing the Atlantic, the Quest spent a month in the docks of Rio de Janeiro. While in Brazil, Shackleton, whose health had been poor for some time, suffered a heart attack. After he declined treatment for his condition, the expedition left for South Georgia on 18 December. The island was sighted on 4 January 1922 and both Worsley and Shackleton were "like a pair of excitable kids", pointing out landmarks from their walk across South Georgia back in 1916. The following day, Shackleton suffered a fatal heart attack. Worsley described the loss of his friend as "... a terribly sad blow. I have lost a dear pal, one of the whitest men, in spite of his faults, that ever lived."
