Captain James Cook’s Famed Ship,
H.M. Bark Endeavour - by Stephanie Record

For all such as who have ever fantasized about sailing aboard an explorer’s ship as a child, the four-year world voyage of Endeavour, Captain James Cook’s 18^th-century sailing ship, is a dream-come-true. Operating as a working 18^th-century sailing vessel, Endeavour has sailed over 35,000 nautical miles and over 88 voyages while completing successful tours of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the Atlantic Islands, and the East Coast of North America. Built in Fremantle, Western Australia to the exact specifications of the original, Endeavour looks as if she has just sailed out of the Great Age of Discovery. Endeavour is a three-masted majestic square rigger with nine square sails and a dozen smaller sails and measures 109 feet, three inches long and 29 feet, two inches on the beam. All across the world, the lure of the sea draws an unending stream of people to Endeavour. Most come to look, study, and dream of what used to be—some come to sail.

Endeavour requires 36 voyage crew, 4 supernumeraries, plus 16 permanent professional crew to sail her around the world—18^th-century style. Although Endeavour’s officers and permanent crew are professional sailors hailing from Australia, New Zealand, and Britain, Endeavour takes on amateur sailors, called voyage crew, between ports of call. While these adventuresome mariners learn and improve their sailing skills and immerse themselves in the history of Cook’s voyages, they experience first-hand the mystery, adventure, and challenge of life aboard an 18^th-century ship. Working above and below decks, Endeavour’s voyage crew keep alive the spirit of Cook’s crew of over 200 years ago who had willingly signed on for a three year journey around the world to new lands and across thousands of miles of unknown seas.

Searching for the Unknown

In 1768 the Royal Society of London petitioned King George III for a ship to send to the South Seas to view the transit of the planet Venus across the sun. This important event had international cooperation with over 150 observers taking part around the world. Astronomers hoped that by compiling all the resultant times they could calculate the distance of the earth from the sun. The Royal Society astronomer Charles Green was chosen to sail with the crew to the newly discovered island of Tahiti where the viewing would take place. Eminent botanist Joseph Banks and his scientific team of 12 were also on board, to study and collect flora and fauna.

The Admiralty needed to find a ship that could accommodate 94 men aboard, and selected The Earl of Pembroke, a three-masted collier bark or coal carrier that could be easily converted to carry extra crew and stores. The Earl of Pembroke had a huge hauling capacity and could carry enough provisions to last a crew of 90 as long as 18 months. She was a slow but sturdy vessel which was sea-kindly and safe even in rough weather. The Earl of Pembroke, renamed H.M. Bark Endeavour, was the ideal choice for the three year voyage of exploration. Before starting the voyage the ship was modified, sacrificing cargo space to make room for additional crew members and a small contingent of marines, who slept between the officers’ quarters and the crew to defend against the possibility of mutiny.

On August 26, 1768, Endeavour left England to begin a risky voyage around the world. No one had any idea of the impact this scientific expedition would have upon world charts and international botanical knowledge or that Cook would become considered one of the world’s
greatest explorers, ranked with Vasco de Gama and Christopher Columbus. Assisted by Cook and a number of Endeavour’s officers, Green successfully noted the times for the transit, but due to the inaccuracies of telescopes of the period, the overall results from around the world were disappointing.

Cook then followed his "secret" orders from the Admiralty, which were to search for the supposed Great South Land between latitudes 30 and 40 degrees. Not finding this land, he continued to New Zealand, circumnavigated and completely charted both the north and south islands and took notes on the people and their way of life. He then continued west and sailed to the east coast of New Holland (now called Australia) and turned north, sailing up the east coast before anchoring in what he named Botany Bay. From here he charted this unknown land for the first time, and nearly wrecked on the hidden Great Barrier Reef. Before leaving, Cook took possession of the eastern portion of Australia in the name of King George III.

For three years, Cook and his crew, most under the age of 30 and experienced sailors, endured treacherous weather, confined quarters, and exhausting work. Despite rough conditions and little or no privacy and many months at sea in the same company day in and day out, Cook’s crew took it well. Of his men, Cook wrote, "They have gone through the fatigues and dangers of the whole voyage with that cheerfulness and alertness that will always do Honour to British Seamen."

When the ship finally returned to England in July 1771, Cook reported the state of the Endeavour to the Admiralty: "Borne 82, Sick 19, Provisions 21 days of bread, 28 days of arrack, 4 days beef, 4 days port, 4 weeks pease, oatmeal or rice, 4 weeks sugar, water 10 tons. Condition of the bark: Foul." Despite the state of the ship, the journey was a success, contributing greatly to the world’s knowledge of seamanship, navigation, and geography. The world explorer returned from his three year expedition with accurate charts of Australia and New Zealand as well as over 2000 botanical specimens collected by Banks, increasing by 25% the world’s botanical knowledge.

Although Cook was not the first person nor even the first European to "discover" Australia, he was the first to accurately map the eastern coastline. Due to a variety of circumstances, Cook’s explorations set in motion the penal colonization of the "new" continent of Australia. Also remarkable was that Cook managed to substantially reduce scurvy, a serious and sometimes fatal result of dietary deficiency on long voyages, among his crew and he was the first to accurately calculate longitude at sea.

Construction of Endeavour

Endeavour was so accurately recorded in the 18^th century, that except for allowances made to meet modern safety standards and to ensure that the vessel will have as long a life afloat as possible, the replica is a true reincarnation of the original. During its service as a naval vessel, Cook’s ship had been surveyed several times and detailed information is still held at that National Maritime Museum of Britain. The original ship survived for only 29 years, whereas the replica should sail for at least 40. Although the original was built from oak, the museum replica was made from Australian hardwoods and American Douglas Fir, far more plentiful and less susceptible to rot than oak. The only concessions to the 20^th century are modern heads and showers, an electric galley and mess, locker, machinery, and freezer spaces. All these are housed in what was the capacious hold on the original ship.

The HM Bark Endeavour Foundation must face the constant challenge of maintaining Endeavour at a standard of excellence as an international museum and as a working sailing vessel that must pass the 20^th-century survey requirements which allow her to undertake international voyages. Endeavour is surveyed to ASA USL 2A, which gives her an unlimited international range as a sailing cargo ship and meets standards certified by the National Maritime Museum and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Endeavour was successfully launched in the traditional 18^th-century way on 9 December 1993. Sliding out of the dry dock and meeting the water for the first time, Endeavour moved through the sea as sturdy and as sure as the original. She was then rigged and sea-trialed before being commissioned on 16 April 1994. After operating out of Fremantle for six months she set sail on her maiden voyage for Sydney, New South Wales on 2 October 1994 under the command of Captain Christopher Blake, who holds an International Master Class 1 certificate with a special square rig endorsement. Captain Blake was Master of Kaisei, Japan’s first sail training vessel, and has had command of four other square rigged ships. On 18 December Endeavour arrived into Sydney, New South Wales to a tumultuous harbor welcome. Endeavour then went on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbor until April 1995 before leaving on a six month voyage to celebrate the 225^th anniversary of HM Bark Endeavour’s voyage up the east coat of Australia. In November 1995, she left Sydney for a hugely successful three month, 11 port visit of New Zealand before returning to Fremantle.

On 16 October 1996, Endeavour set sail on her historic world voyage. For Chief Executive John Longley and the hundreds of volunteers who donated their time and labor to the construction of Endeavour, her departure from her home base of Fremantle was one of triumph. "We have done something which is acknowledged internationally as being the best in the world…people around the world cannot believe this has been done." Not only had they succeeded in building an exact replica that actually sailed, but she was to leave her home port to
circumnavigate the world for four years.

Sailing via the Cape of Good Hope, she arrived in London in March 1997. Among the highlights of her very successful 15 port tour of Britain was the visit by HRH Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip in London and Prince Charles in Wales; on 9 May 1997, a crowd of more than 100,000 witnessed the historic arrival of Endeavour’s homecoming to Whitby, England, where the original had been built in the 1760’s. Endeavour left Plymouth, England in January 1998, starting her Atlantic crossing to the New World. She visited Tenerife, Tortola, and Nassau on her way to the United States, where she arrived at West Palm Beach, Florida on 5 March 1998 for a seven month, 16 port tour of the East Coast of the United States and Canada.

Sailing Aboard Endeavour

Although sailing aboard Endeavour is an extraordinary experience, she requires "ordinary" people to sail her. For a short time, voyage crew abandon their desks and manicures for a heaving deck and blistered hands. Computer programmer and voyage crew member J.P. Harrison admitted why he would do such a thing, "What would entice someone who sits in an office all day writing software, to go to sea on an 18^th-century ship? In a word, adventure. Coddled as I am in my comfortable world, this was a chance to become a tough-as-nails sailor, challenging the elements, taming nature, and overcoming insurmountable odds."

Although romantic, the intimate glimpse into history offered by Endeavour is obtained through hard work. Endeavour is operated as a traditional three-watch sailing vessel, with voyage crew taking on a demanding schedule of sailing around the clock, lectures, eating, swabbing the decks, and falling asleep (usually in a state of fatigue) in hammocks. Of her voyage from Newport, RI to Boston, MA, Robin Miller of South Carolina stated, "The promise of this trip was the experience of both the perils and pleasures of authentic 18^th-century sailing. Believe me, the promise was met. We 20^th-century sailors have it good." To keep the experience historically accurate, all work is done the 18^th-century way—manually. There are no winches, or color coded or labeled ropes to assist in memorizing and familiarizing oneself with the 18 miles of ropes used to secure masts and hoist sails. Voyage crew are required to climb 120 feet off the deck (sometimes in the dead of night) to the end of the yardarm to haul in heavy canvas, work the rigging, helming, swab the decks, and help in the galley. Luckily, 20^th-century novices are not left to battle the elements and work the rigging on their own. The captain of the tops will guide, drill, teach, and tease, and keep a careful eye on voyage crew at all times. Caitlin Kelly of Tarrytown, New York fondly recalled the support given by Richard, a topman and pony-tailed Englishman, "He hollered at laggards, but would equally cheer on our sweaty efforts striving to bring the mariner out of each voyage crew."

Although voyage crew may find their living environment aboard the ship a bit cramped, their predecessors would consider them spacious in comparison to those of 200 years ago.

Today’s Endeavour sails with only half the crew of the ship’s original. On Cook’s journey aboard the original, 80 seamen ate and socialized in the mess deck. Today, below deck is still thick with the smell of tar, rope, and canvas. Voyage crew sleep in the mess deck in hammocks slung row upon row from the deck head of the lower deck, about 6 feet off the ground and just 14 inches apart from one another. The pitch and roll of the ship swings the hammocks of sleeping voyage crew in unison. This acts as a gimbal, taking half of Endeavour’s roll away. Such close quarters can come as a shock at first, but it’s this historically authentic experience that lures voyage crew to sign on.

Endeavour is looking for both male and female voyage crew who may have some blue water experience. Albeit helpful, tall ship experience is not essential, however, being physically fit and having an easygoing temperament is. Permanent crew member and former Captain o’ Tops, Dominic Hannelly, 27, of Sydney, Australia, emphasized the significance of getting along with others to the running of the ship, "Anyone can be taught what we do on board ship. A lot of the fellows we’ve seen have never sailed in their lives. What the Foundation looks for are people who can relate well to others—if for no other reason than the fact you have to get along with 55 other people when you’re out at sea."

Endeavour has undergone a refit in San Diego, having sailed via Bermuda, Tortola, Barbados, Balboa, the Galapagos Islands, Acapulco, and Cabo San Lucas before commencing her seven month 1999 West Coast tour. She will depart Vancouver, BC in October 1999 for Sydney, Australia via Hawaii and New Zealand. Endeavour is accepting applications to sail on five-day voyages during Endeavour’s 1999 West Coast Tour. While voyage crew have to pay to experience the life and ordeals of an 18^th-century mariner, sailing aboard one of the world’s most famous ships of discovery is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You’ll have a chance to find out what it was like in the age of exploration and go back, even if for a short time, to the days of the great sailing ships.

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