Captain Cook – for a small fee

Yes apparently for a small\substantial fee (AU$3000-$7000) we too can voyage on the Endevour following in the footsteps of Captain Cook on an exact replica of his most famous boat. Pretty cool!

It’s permanent home is in Darling Harbor, Sydney but a few times a year it sets sail with a mottley collection of public. You can be either part of the crew and live like the original crew in hammocks minus the almost certain possibility of horrible disease ridden death or you can sign up to be an officer and live in one of the 6 (I think) officer cabins.

The officers were no less likely to die a horrible death and I think only one other except Cook made it back. (Did he?) It’s all kitted out with original\replica bits and bobs complete with officer belongings and it sails with most of that tucked away. Down below, modern toilets and showers are hidden from public view which is no bad thing if you take a look the original toilets. Called the “Seats of Ease” they are two wooden holes right at the front of the top deck basically giving you a slightly more comfortable seat than if you were popping your bottom over the side. The “toilet paper” doesn’t bare thinking about… the end of a frayed rope kept on a bucket of sea water and “cleaned” by leaving it over the side for a while. There’s a website you can go to sign up, I’ll be there one day, oh yes! http://www.anmm.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=457

The slightly more modern but equally cramped boat parked next door.