Life On Board HMB Endeavour - 18th Century Vessel

Lieutenant Cook likes to start writing his ship log when it is all quiet and cool in the early part of the morning. He has barely started penning the date when he suddenly hears a loud commotion above deck. Moments later loud footsteps are heard outside his cabin door and these are followed by a breathless voice requesting for his immediate presence above.

It is nearly 6 am on 9 April 1770. Cook with nearly 100 able seamen on board HMB Endeavour are just about to make their historic landfall at the south-eastern coast of Australia. His initial intention was to sail south and reach Van Diemen's Land which is present day Tasmania. However, HMB Endeavour was forced to maintain a northerly course by strong winds and ocean currents.

The place sighted was called Point Hicks after Cook established that Lieutenant Hicks was the first to see it. Sensing good fortune, Cook decided to maintain HMB Endeavour on the same direction, slowly tracing the coast while keeping land constantly in sight.

Three weeks after making landfall at Point Hicks, Endeavour makes the first contact with the local Gweagal Aborigines. Despite the hostilities of the bewildered locals, Cook liked the new place very much. It provided a safe anchorage and there was ample food and fresh water for him and his crew.

This place was initially called Stingray Harbour Bay when Cook saw his men eating large quantities of the seafood but he later changed it to Botany Bay because the botanists who travelled with him, Joseph Banks, Daniel Solander and Herman Spöring managed to collect large numbers of new plant and animal species yet known by the scientific world then.

Botany Bay grew slowly through the years and Sydney was established with the arrival of the first fleet some 18 years after Cook discovered Australia.

I have learnt so much about the founding of this country in books and as a boy I have often dreamed of the golden age when sailors would gallantly sail through uncharted waters and discover new lands. So imagine my excitement when I found out that there is a working replica of HMB Endeavour at the Australian National Maritime Museum. The opportunity to step onboard this historic vessel is too tempting to resist.

The maritime museum is located in Darling Harbour, right in the middle of bustling Sydney and easily accessible either by rail, taxi or simply on foot. I suggest the latter as the weather here is generally nice and cool except for the mid summer months.

In order to access all the exhibits, I decide to opt for the all inclusive but slightly more expensive Big Ticket. In return, I get the back of my hand is stamped with a violet ship's wheel the size of a 50 cent coin. That's the actual entrance ticket. I just have to flash the wheel at the person guarding the exhibit entrances and viola I am in!

The lady at the counter advised me to start with the outdoor exhibits first as the weather is good. So, armed with the museum's comprehensive site map, I embark on my search for the great ship. I easily find the imposing HMB Endeavour moored by a wharf beside the Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse.

The first thing that I notice is the large number of riggings. It is indeed amazing how the crew can cope with 29 km of rope linked to 28 sails. This results in over 10 000 square feet of canvas! They certainly know how to make large sailing ships back then.

There are guides everywhere, ready to explain the interesting aspects in their respective sections. I realise that my perception of the glorified seafarers of the past slowly beginning to change as I spend more time on board. Life on a ship some three hundred years ago is not as glamorous as portrayed by Hollywood. In actual fact, life on board, especially for the common seaman, is not comfortable at all.

Most of their daily lives were confined to the front section of the ship which is narrow and cramp. These sailors even have to seek verbal permission from the officers if they want venture to other parts of the ship. There are no toilets and the men have to squat on a wooden plank with an oval shaped section cut out. I can just imagine them hanging on for dear life in this precarious position during rough seas!

The stairs leading the lower level of the ship is narrow and steep. I have to use the knotted rope to steady myself. The height from floor to ceiling is only four feet and I have to practically waddle like a duck to move from the front to the back of the ship. Now I understand why the person I met leaving the ship earlier was complaining of a stiff neck!

The dining area is next to the cook's fire hearth which was considered state-of-the-art back in 1768. A sailor can ask permission to use the fire if he caught himself a fish or perhaps a juicy rat! The Scottish cook, John Thompson, had lost one hand but still managed to cook for the 94 people on board. At night, the dishes are cleared and hammocks are strung over the dinner tables for the sailors while the higher ranking officers slept in cots.

Conditions gradually improve as I move towards the stern. The senior officers and gentlemen either shared or had their own cabins. Finally I reach the 'great cabin' where Lieutenant Cook spends most of his time going over the navigational charts and discussing the daily activities with his officers and scientists.

Cook's cabin is huge, occupying nearly all of the back section of the lower deck. I spend more time here partly because I can finally stand upright again and also because there is so much to see. The spread out maps, boxes of freshly gathered plant and flower specimens together with a well stocked book cabinet indicate a busy Lieutenant Cook during his voyage to discover Australasia.

Finally, after more than an hour below deck, I gratefully climb up the stairs to return to the open deck. I am sure the original crew of the HMB Endeavour would have felt the same each time they emerge from the tiny hatch. Like me, their spirits must have surely been lifted at the sight of the clear blue sky and feeling the gentle caress of the cool sea breeze against their weather beaten faces.  

Leaving HMB Endeavour I move on to modern vessels like battleships and submarines before returning to view the extensive indoor exhibits. Nevertheless, it is the visit onboard HMB Endeavour that firmly remains the highlight of my visit.

For more information contact the Australian National Maritime Museum, 2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour, Sydney New South Wales 2000, Australia. Tel: +61 2 9298 3777 Email: info@anmm.gov.au Website: www.anmm.gov.au

OPEN HOURS
Every Day 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Extended to 6:00 pm in January
Last boarding time for submarine and tall ships: 4.10pm
Closed Christmas Day 25 December.

TICKET INFORMATION
Open daily from 9:30am with last boarding at 4:10pm (extended to 5:10pm during summer).
It is highly recommended that you purchase a Big Ticket.
Also, remember to go online and check out the 'Plan Your Visit' page which has everything you need to know about making a memorable trip to the museum.

VISITING TIPS
Children must always be accompanied by an adult and for safety reasons, kids have to be at least 90cm in height to board all vessels.
Be prepared to get physical. HMB Endeavour involves climbing, crouching and navigating confined spaces.
Visitors are recommended to wear flat shoes.

NOTE: The last three images feature my published work in the New Straits Times Thursday 28 July 2016 in the JOM! Life & Times section