Captain James Cook     HM Bark Endeavour   endeavour whitby

HM Bark Endeavor was formerly called the ‘Earl of Pembroke’ 350 tons and was a small Merchant Collier built to transport coal around the coast of Britain. She was built in Whitby, North Yorkshire in June 1764 by Thomas Fishburn, and was obtained by the Royal Society of London for use in a scientific study to observe the ‘transit of Venus across the sun’ in 1769. She was renamed HM Bark Endeavor and underwent a major re-fit at Deptford on the Thames in 1768.The expedition was supported by both Royalty, George III Granting on 24th March 1768 the sum of £4,000 to defray expenses, and by the Royal Navy which under took to provide a ship. However they still had to find a person to command her the royal society wanted the noted hydrographer and cartographer Alexander Dalrymple a civilian but the lords of the admiralty rejected this because it was against the rules of the navy. They instead choose Her Captain for the voyage a forty year-old experienced seaman by the name of James Cook who, until that time, had never commanded a vessel of his own. She was bought on the 29th March 1768 for 2,212 pounds15 shillings and 6 pence for the hull and 94 pound and 10 shillings  for mast and spars later reduced to 56 pounds and 17 shillings  she was taken to the ways at Deptford dockyard to be dismasted and docked. On the  5th of April she was registered on the navy list as a Bark by the name of the Endeavour. she was to have had a crew of seventy men but Cook was informed that besides Charles  Green  and his servant,  Joseph banks esq. and his suite of eight people were to sail with him on the 3rd of August a decision was taken to increase the crew to 85 men including 12 marines. After the return of the Endeavour on the 18th of July 1771 she was paid of at Woolwich and docked,  resheathed and refitted in all respects as a store ship to carry supplies to the Falklands. In 1775 she was sold from service with the Royal navy.1790 the Endeavour was sold at Dunkirk and entered the whaling trade as La Liberte, she was declared unseaworthy after an accident  in 1790 and was condemned at Newport Rhode Island. so ended  the life of a fine ship but wait she lives on in the Australian Replica.

endeavour leaving whitby

HM Bark Endeavour leaving Whitby

Also, Whitby still carries its proud tradition on ship building, albeit on a smaller scale.
A local firm: Parkanol who mostly build steel trawlers, still have the craftsmen capable of building a 1/5th scale of the Endeavour They are hoping to launch it by Easter 2002 .
Hopefully she will be finished in time to sail out and greet the Australian Endeavour when she arrives here for the summer.
I might even get to go on board this time if there are not too many tourists about :0(

Whitby built replica

replica 1

replica 2

replica 3

Finally, my attempt at building the Endeavour built at 1/64th scale or 3/16th to the foot it took five months to build I even had the wife helping me tying all the ratlines to the shrouds.

 BIG THANK YOU Love.

Hull planked and painted

Hull planked and painted.

View from the stern

View from the stern

Ships boats and spare masts, ships boats are plank on frame not
carved

Ships boats and spare masts, ships boats are plank on frame not carved.

Making the main mast

Making the main mast

Spiders nest?

Spiders nest?

Endeavour on her base a dry dock. Finished

Endeavour on her base a dry dock. Finished

Endeavour on her base a dry dock. Finished Finished

Can you see Captain Cook? how many crew can you see.

Can you see Captain Cook? how many crew can you see.

We could have used these when we were doing all the rigging!!

We could have used these when we were doing all the rigging!!

If you fancy building the Endeavour buy the book Anatomy of a ship Captain Cooks Endeavour by Karl Heinz Marquardt For Valuable information.


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