Join the crew of Capt Cook's ship

HMB Endeavour

www.sailaustralia.com.au

ADVENTURERS and history buffs will get a chance to experience what it was like to sail in Captain James Cook's time on a replica of his most famous ship as it voyages around Australia.

HM Bark Endeavour will circumnavigate Australia on a thirteen-month voyage commencing in April 2011, Federal Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced on Wednesday.

The finely crafted wooden vessel will stop at 18 ports and will be open as a public museum in 15 locations.

Experienced and inexperienced sailors will augment the professional crew between ports, learning first-hand how seafarers sailed and navigated tall ships in the 18th century.

With fees of between $1250 and $4000, depending on the leg, the 36 paying crew members will work aboard the ship and sleep in hammocks.

For those who prefer an easier ride, four cabins - styled on the original officer's quarters - are available for between $2500 and $8000.

"This will be a brilliant opportunity for Australians to come on board this incredible replica vessel and get a taste of what it was like when Captain Cook first sailed through the heads of Botany Bay in 1770," Mr Garrett said at the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) in Sydney.

The Endeavour will be sure to get a warm welcome wherever she goes, he added.

ANMM director Mary-Louise Williams said the Endeavour replica was researched, designed and built by highly skilled tradespeople in Fremantle, WA, between 1988 and 1993.

It's almost an exact replica of the original vessel, apart from some necessary modern additions such as engines, generators, a kitchen and sanitary facilities.

"I'm sure if Captain Cook was looking down from above he would be very envious of his new ship," she said.

HMB Endeavour sets sail from Sydney on April 15, 2011. More information is available at www.endeavourvoyages.com.au.