Tall ship HMB Endeavour returns home to Sydney

Below decks on HMB Endeavour

Completing her Australian circumnavigation when she sailed through Sydney Heads on 21 May 2012, HMB Endeavour, the 18th century replica of the vessel under James Cooks’ command when he mapped the Australian east coast, has been quite some voyage. An ambitious project managed by the Australian National Maritime Museum, HMB Endeavour made an impression in each port she visited.

For those of us fortunate to hop onboard for a leg, it was quite an extraordinary experience. Sailing on a tall ship seems to bring out the best qualities in people, something about all that softly billowing canvas flying from sturdy timber spars, the whoosing of the ocean and the gentle rhythm that emanates from a sailing ship underway I suspect. For me personally, the 300 odd mile leg from Townsville to Cairns rekindled a love of sailing, a passion which had lay dormant since selling my beloved yacht a John Alden 48. Like many sailors, once the salt water invades your veins, it’s awfully hard to deny it.  Beneath a star filled sky off the coast of Hinchinbrook Island it became clear to me that I was destined for a life on the sea. Once a sea gypsy always a sea gypsy it seems.

Crew keep lookout on Endeavour's bowsprit

Some interesting figures came from the culmination of the voyage:

The ship HMB Endeavour sailed 13,300 nautical miles

•             706 voyage crew have sailed with HMB Endeavour with 20 different voyage legs totalling 88%  capacity

•             75,720 people visited HMB Endeavour in 15 Australian ports, including 18,446 school students

•             816 volunteers assisted with guiding and shipkeeping all over Australia

•             23,000 kms has been travelled by HMB Endeavour’s shore support vehicle which met HMB Endeavour at each port

•             Over 800 media stories published making headlines around Australia, here’s just a few of the ones we published, as long as a handful in print media such as Australian Traveller magazine, HMS Signals and the  Cairns Post.

Following Cook’s Voyage of Discovery

Voyage of Reconcilliation

HMB Endeavour Departs on Australian Circumnavigation

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Posted by Fiona Harper on May 29 2012. Filed under Archive. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry