Endeavour

The Endeavour was launched in June 1764 by Thomas Fishburn. She began life as the Earl of Pembroke, at 368 tons, 95 feet in length, with an 81-foot keel and a maximum beam of 29 feet. She also had a rounded bow, a flat stern and was cross-rigged, originally working as a collier, transporting coal. On 5th April 1768 she was registered as a ship of the Royal Navy, rechristened the Endeavour and reassigned out to serve as an exploration vessel. At the shipyard in Deptford, near London, she was fitted out for her voyage with the addition of decks, cabins and storage space to accommodate her crew: officers, scientists, servants and sailors, a total of 94 men. The Endeavour sailed round the world under the command of Captain James Cook, leaving Plymouth in England on 8th August 1768 and returning to London on 13th July 1771. The mission of this expedition was to observe the transit of Venus between the Earth and the Sun, for the purpose of estimating the distance between the stars, using this information to calculate the parameters of the universe. She finally sank off the coast of Rhode Island during an attack by French ships on the Port of Newport in 1790.

age recommendation: +14

WARNING! Not suitable for children under 36 months due to small pieces which may present a chocking hazard - DANGER OF SUFFOCATION !