Ambitious Plan to Bring HM Bark Endeavour Back to Whitby

A newly formed group is embarking on an ambitious campaign to bring the replica of Captain Cook's HM Bark Endeavour back to Whitby for the Cook 300 commemorations in 2028.

The replica of Captain Cook's historic ship preciously visited the town in 1997, 2002 and 2003 and saw large crowds flock to the resort to see the vessel.

2028 marks the 300th anniversary of Cook's birth and the The Endeavour International Alliance has been formed to promote the Cook 300 celebrations and Captain Cook's legacy.

The replica Endeavour is currently berthed in Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia, at the National Maritime Museum of Australia. Despite its long period of being docked, the vessel recently received its sea certificate last year and successfully navigated the notoriously rough Bass Straits on a journey to Hobart.

Clair Stones, who serves as the chairman of the Captain Cook Memorial Museum in Whitby and is part of the Endeavour International Alliance, says this successful sea journey sparked the idea for its potential return to the north-east coast of England.

"We want to promote Cook 300, the commemorations and the legacy of Cook himself. And our heartfelt wish is that we can get the Endeavour Replica which is currently in Darling Harbour Australia, back to the Northeast coast.

Last year , it got its sea certificate and it was taken down to Hobart.

And this really made us start to think. What if we could get it back to come and visit Middlesborough, visit Whitby and what better time would be 2028. Because our feeling is that. It's wasted just being docked. A ship needs to be used, it needs to be at sea."

Clair Stones says that with the Hobart voyage deemed a success the sea museum in Australia is now considering further voyages for the replica, 

"So having gone down to Hobart I think the Sea Museum are now looking at possibly it going further north to Queensland where the Endeavour came aground on the Great Barrier Reef.

And it really set seeds going, thinking we were already thinking about what we could do to celebrate Cook 2028 with numerous things that we've got in mind. Why not try, to get it back to Whitby? 

It's in its early stages with us at the moment. We've put out lots and lots of feelers.

We've had very good feedback and we are very hopeful and optimistic that we can make this happen. "

Whitby holds profound historical significance for the Endeavour, as it was the original shipbuilding location for Captain Cook's vessel.

Clair says the prospect of the replica's return evokes memories of a "fantastic spectacle" from previous visits, something she feels might not always be possible in the future.

"It was a fantastic spectacle, just seeing the Endeavour coming in with all the flotilla of lots of little boats and big boats and helicopters and thousands of people lining the route. Because as it was rightly termed, it was the homecoming because Whitby was where the Endeavour was originally built by the Fishman's at Thomas Fishman's Yard in Whitby.

And we feel that Cook's 300 may well be the very last time that we can actually have this spectacle happening certainly in our lifetime, but I just wonder, whether 350, 400, will it still be going."

The Endeavour International Alliance say they have had initial discussions with the Australians about the idea and they are also working on other aspects of a larger year long programme of commemorations to take place in 2028.

Clair Stones says 

"If there's anybody out there who thinks that they have got something that they can bring. To this 20, 28 year of celebrations, then please do get in touch with me."

Clair can be3 contacted via email at csCook300@gmail.com