H.M. Bark Endeavour
The Endeavour began its life as the Earl of Pembroke(constructed in 1764), a coal trader. The Earl of Pembroke had one large hold designed to contain the coal. In 1768 she was bought for the Navy so that she could be fitted up for a voyage to the South Seas to observe the transit of Venus.
Another objective of the Endeavour was to decide for sure whether there was a southern continent or not and if so, to map it.
The Endeavour was given its new name, and pulled up into the dockyards at Deptford on the Thames in London for a refit. She was fitted with extra planking below the waterline to combat the shipworms. The quarter deck was extended forward and lifted. A second deck was built below the main deck. Below the quarterdeck the great cabin ( at a length of 4.37 meters)contained the captain's quarters and senior officers mess. The lower deck had a wardroom and officers' cabins, Gunroom, junior officers' quarters, and at the bow was the warrant-officers' cabins. The forecastle was just above the warrant officers' cabins and was the sleeping quarters for the crew. The hold, at the very bottom of the ship, was stored the food and scientific instruments and at the bow, under the waterline was the magazine where the gunpowder was stored.
The Endeavour had 3 masts, fore, main and mizzen. The main mast was over 42 meters high and the main yard is 14.58 meters long. Fore and mainmast carried a course , topsail and topgallant sails with the mizzenmast carrying two sails, the mizzen(a fore and aft sail) and a topsail. The bowsprit carried a spritsail and a spritsail topsail. The length of the Endeavour was 32.31 meters with a beam of 8.92 meters. The draught fully laden was 4.27 meters and she had a burden of 364 tonnes. The Endeavour carried a crew of 72 and a dozen marines. The captain of the Endeavour was the legendary Leiutenant James Cook, navigator without equal. The main passenger was Joseph Banks, a eccentric millionaire obsessed with plant scientific research.
The two deputies of the Endeavour were Leiutenants Zachary Hicks and John Gore. Gore had already made two trips to the South Pacific. The master's mate Charles Clerke was an experienced seamen. John Satterly was Endeavour's "Chips" or ship's carpenter and the sail-maker, John Ravenhill spent most of the voyage drunk. The ship's doctor was Surgeon William Monkhouse.
In early August 1768, the Endeavour was ready and left Deptford dockyards and sailed to Plymouth to prepare for departure. On 26th August, 1768, the Endeavour sailed past the Lizard and the coast of Cornwall and headed out into the North Atlantic.
Endeavour Resources
CAPTAIN COOK'S ENDEAVOUR: Revised Edition (Anatomy of the Ship) -
The Endeavour, made eternally famous by Captain Cook's first voyage in her in 1768-71, was originally the collier Earl of Pembroke and was chosen by Cook for his voyage because of her strong construction. She was purchased by the Royal Navy at Whitby and then converted to an exploration ship at Deptford. After her voyage she was sold out of service in 1775, and finally condemned sometime in the 1790s.
H.M. Bark Endeavour: Her Place in Australian History -
the Endeavour, what she looked like, how she sailed, how she smelled. The book on the Endeavour is accompanied by a series of plans and figures depicting the ship's architecture and construction, her deck plan, rigging, sails, armament, boats, cables, anchors and accommodation.
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