Can you imagine putting to sea in a small wooden ship based on that used by Captain Cook? His ship, the Endeavour, was built in Whitby in Yorkshire in 1764.
A scale model, slightly less than half size was built in the early years of the 21st century. It may look the part but a huge difference is the method of propulsion. Captain Cook relied on the wind to drive his vessel forward. The new ship has 240 HP worth of engine to propel it through the waves.
We were in Whitby in 2006. I knew nothing of the replica Endeavour and as we arrived I was surprised to see this little wooden ship leaving the waters in the harbour and heading out to sea.
You can get an idea there of the vastness of the sea and the tiny nature of Endeavour. It tossed and rocked in what was quite a gentle sea. To me it looked thoroughly scary.
I soon learned that the little ship took passengers out for an experience. Later I was able to get a much closer shot of the vessel.
What a lovely sight she makes as she makes her way back into the still waters of Whitby harbour.
I’ve overblown that one a bit but we can see the crowd of happy trippers and the full name of this boat. She’s Bark Endeavour Whitby. The Bark part, apparently, refers to the method of construction.
Locksands Life 