HM Bark Endeavour Replica
Encyclopedia
The HM Bark Endeavour Replica is a replica
Ship replica
A ship replica is a reconstruction of a no longer existing ship. Replicas can range from authentically reconstructed, fully seaworthy ships, to ships of modern construction that give an impression of an historic vessel...
of , the bark
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
commanded by Lieutenant James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
when he charted New Zealand and discovered the eastern coast of Australia
First voyage of James Cook
The first voyage of James Cook was a combined Royal Navy and Royal Society expedition to the south Pacific ocean aboard HMS Endeavour, from 1768 to 1771...
. The idea of recreating Endeavour for use as a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
was generated during the establishment of the Australian National Maritime Museum
Australian National Maritime Museum
The Australian National Maritime Museum is a federally-operated maritime museum located in Darling Harbour, Sydney. After consideration of the idea to establish a maritime museum, the Federal government announced that a national maritime museum would be constructed at Darling Harbour, tied into...
in the 1980s; the vessel would be funded by the Bond Corporation, and gifted to the nation on completion. A specialist shipyard, complete with viewing platform and guided tours for the public, was set up, and construction of the vessel commenced in 1988. Two years later, work stopped because the Bond Corporation hit financial trouble; a Japanese company, the Yoshiya Corporation, stepped in, but was also forced to withdraw support because of financial problems.
Volunteers maintained the incomplete vessel until the HM Bark Endeavour Foundation was established as a charitable trust in 1991. The Endeavour replica was launched at the end of 1993, and completed in 1994. After sea trials, the replica sailed from Fremantle to Sydney, where she arrived at the end of 1994. During 1995, the ship recreated Cook's voyage along eastern Australia, then visited New Zealand at the end of the year. In late 1996, the Endeavour replica set out on a circumnavigation of the world, visiting ports in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and North America, before returning to New Zealand in late 1999. The vessel returned to Sydney in mid-2000. In 2001, the replica was used for filming of the BBC documentary The Ship
The Ship (TV series)
-External links:* * *...
, then sailed to England in 2002. She spent the next two years visiting ports in the United Kingdom and Europe, before sailing back to Sydney in 2005, completing a second round-the-world voyage. On arrival in Australia, the HM Bark Endeavour Foundation transferred ownership of the vessel to the Australian National Maritime Museum.
In 2011, the replica began a year-long circumnavigation of Australia.
Construction
The idea of building a replica of Endeavour was first mooted by the trusteeTrustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
s of the under-construction Australian National Maritime Museum
Australian National Maritime Museum
The Australian National Maritime Museum is a federally-operated maritime museum located in Darling Harbour, Sydney. After consideration of the idea to establish a maritime museum, the Federal government announced that a national maritime museum would be constructed at Darling Harbour, tied into...
. The vessel would serve as the centrepiece of the museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
fleet. Funding for construction was provided by the Bond Corporation, with the completed replica to be presented as the company's gift to Australia for the nation's bicentenary
Australian Bicentenary
The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1970 on the 200th anniversary of Captain James Cook landing and claiming the land, and again in 1988 to celebrate 200 years of permanent European settlement.-1970:...
. Construction was organised through the subsidiary company Endeavour Replica Pty Ltd. A specialist shipyard was established at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour
Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour
Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour is a commercial marina in Fremantle, Western Australia adjacent to the more recently constructed Challenger Harbour...
; a viewing gallery allowed visitors to observe the replica's construction, and volunteer tour guides ran tours through the shipyard. Recreation of the vessel was not problematic, as the original Endeavour had been surveyed multiple times by the Royal Navy, particularly during her conversion from a cargo collier
Collier (ship type)
Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
to a ship of exploration, and these records had been retained by the British National Maritime Museum
National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
.
Construction of the vessel started in January 1988, with the keel laid in October. In 1990, Bond Corporation was forced to stop work on the project because of financial difficulties. The Japanese Yoshiya Corporation joined the project, but withdrew six months later, again, because of financial problems. The volunteer complement were able to keep the shipyard ticking over for another eight months. In order to complete and operate the vessel, the HM Bark Endeavour Foundation was set up as a charitable trust in August 1991, with Bond and Yoshiya donating their equity
Equity (finance)
In accounting and finance, equity is the residual claim or interest of the most junior class of investors in assets, after all liabilities are paid. If liability exceeds assets, negative equity exists...
in the project. A combination of funding from the Australian government, loans, and donations allowed work on the ship to continue. The Endeavour replica was launched on 9 December 1993, and completed on 16 April 1994.
The Endeavour replica was assembled using traditional shipbuilding methods and materials where possible; the only changes were to meet modern safety standards, and enhance the longevity of the replica. The vessel's hull is built from jarrah
Jarrah
Eucalyptus marginata is one of the most common species of Eucalyptus tree in the southwest of Western Australia. The tree and the wood are usually referred to by the Aboriginal name Jarrah...
, with oregon
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
also used above the waterline: although oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
were used in the original ship, the decision was made not to use these as they were more susceptible to rotting. Although some of the wood was fresh-cut, much of it was salvaged from demolished buildings and bridges, or taken from trees felled during construction work or storms. The Endeavour replica is square-rigged with 25 sails made from duradon, giving a sail area of between 1461 sqm, including 531 sqm of studding sail
Studding sail
A studding sail or studsail is a sail used to increase the sail area of a square rigged vessel in light winds. Traditionally pronounced stuns'l.It is an extra sail hoisted alongside a square-rigged sail on an extension of its yardarm...
s. The ship is 43.6 metres (143 ft) long from bowsprit to stern, has a beam of 9.28 metres (30.4 ft), a draught of 3.4 metres (11.2 ft), and a mainmast height of 28 metres (91.9 ft). Auxiliary propulsion is provided by two Caterpillar 3046 B diesel engines, which provide 404 hp. Most of the "20th century" equipment, such as the diesel engines, a powered galley, and navigational equipment, is sited in what was the hold on the original Endeavour, keeping the upper decks in their 18th century condition.
Operational history
The Endeavour replica spent six months undergoing sea trials and operating around Fremantle before sailing around southern Australia to Sydney. Departing in October, the ship made numerous port visits along the southern and eastern coasts before reaching her destination in December. She was placed on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum.From April until September 1995, the replica recreated the original Endeavours voyage up the east coast of Australia, then made a three-month visit to New Zealand from November 1995 to January 1996. After this, the ship returned to Fremantle via ports in Victoria and South Australia. In October 1996, the replica sailed for England via South Africa, arriving in March 1997. After spending the rest of the year visiting British ports, the ship arrived in Florida in March 1998, and visited 31 ports along both the east and west coasts of North America during 1998 and 1999. The Endeavour replica sailed from Vancouver to New Zealand via Hawaii, and reached Wellington in late December 1999, having circumnavigated the globe. The ship spent five months in New Zealand waters before sailing to Sydney in May 2000.
During 2001, Endeavour embarked a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
film crew and recreated Cook's voyage between Cairns and Jakarta for filming of the documentary series The Ship
The Ship (TV series)
-External links:* * *...
. After a major refit in Fremantle during late 2001 and early 2002, the replica sailed in February for a second round-the-world voyage. The ship sailed to Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
via Cape Horn, with wave footage shot while rounding the cape was later used in digitally composited scenes in the 2003 film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir, starring Russell Crowe as Jack Aubrey, with Paul Bettany as Stephen Maturin and released by 20th Century Fox, Miramax Films and Universal Studios...
. She spent most of the next two years on display, either in Whitby, or during visits to ports in the United Kingdom and Europe.
The replica left England in 2004, and returned to Australia via the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Galapagos, Tahiti, and New Zealand. She reached Sydney at sunset on 17 April 2005, after having run aground a few hours earlier in Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
. On arrival, ownership of the vessel was transferred from the HM Bark Endeavour Foundation to the Australian National Maritime Museum.
In mid-April 2011, Endeavour sailed from Sydney on her first circumnavigation of Australia. The counter-clockwise voyage around the continent is scheduled to end in May 2012, with fifteen ports to be visited.