William Clark Russell 
The Frozen Pirate 

A pirate and his ship that have been frozen in Antarctic ice for 50 years are the perfectly plausible but unbelievable characters in the adventure, intrigue, danger, and utter horror of The Frozen Pirate. Paul Rodney, a sailor, narrowly avoids drowning and exposure in the Straits of Magellan in the novel The Frozen Pirate. After overcoming one risk, he encounters another: An ancient vessel packed with what appears to be frozen, deformed bodies are embedded in the Antarctic ice. But the bodies aren't dead, and the ship is a pirate ship. When one of them wakes up, Rodney has to fight against (and work with, if he wants to survive) one of the vilest and most murderous pirates to ever set foot on land! The novel is incredibly engaging, and the author ranks with the best when it comes to describing the cold and loneliness.