Endeavour - cruising the Bay of Island 2

Today is a day all about Tuia 250 celebrating the dual heritage of European and Polynesian ships who traveled over the oceans to New Zealand; 3 tall ships (Endevour, Spirt of NZ and the Tucker Thompon) and 3 waka including the Fa’afaite who navigated from Tahiti to New Zealand using only the stars.

Today the Endeavour visited a number of sites around the Bay of Islands which Captain Cook stopped at 250 years ago. Tukairangi a member of my watch along with Callum our professional watch leader went ashore to spend the day receiving powhiri from the local Iwi’s.

As we had a watch starting at 4am (not that we had to do much being anchored and me personally was not even on watch) we had a super quiet day with the only time we were on watch being for two hours between 4pm and 6pm. So it was a day with not a lot to do but to relax and enjoy the Bay of Island.

The Spirt of New Zealand and the Tucker Thompson tall ships sailing past

The Endeavour. is the centre of attention wherever we go

I got up at 7am and I was looking over the side of the ship when I saw one of the waka’s go past really close which was a great way to start the day.

We then moved the Endeavour out to another location, where it has been arranged for the tall sailing ships to be anchored for the morning.

As we approached our first tall ship anchor location I asked if I could spend some time out on the bowsprit like yesterday and I was told “yes” and I got to be out the front of the Endeavour while the anchor was being lowered which was brilliant and I got to actually see what was involved, something you just can’t see from on board the ship and this is an activity only the professional crew do.

It’s a real shame that we are under engine power as the wind is blowing in the wrong direction but the super sunny warm part of the weather was nice to relax in, write my blog and I actually had some phone signal so I got to phone my mum and check my e-mails. It was quite strange to be speaking to my mother while out the front of the Endeavour as she is moving through the water but I especially enjoyed it, making sure of course that I didn’t drop my phone into the deep blue see below me.

After lunch I went back out onto the bowsprit again as the anchor was being raised which was super brilliant. I was told by the professional crew that once the process of raising the anchor had started I had to stay out on the bowsprit, to which I said ‘no problem’. It is quite tricky to get the anchor up as the Endeavour uses a traditional rope which appears to get easily tangled with anchor itself and then the crew have to work out how to get it free – quite a performance which took a while and I had the best seat in the house, and this is the second day in a row the anchor got tangled in the rope.

The professional crew working to get the anchor untangled.

Once underway I just stayed out on the bowsprit – this has become my favourite place to relax with the ship ploughing through the waves with amazing views of the Bay of Islands ahead, the outstanding view of the Endeavour behind me and nothing below me.

We anchored in the bay of Motuarohia Island, a small island and we got some shore leave. So I got the chance to get off the Endeavour and explore this lovely little island which is exactly what Captain Cook did 250 years ago. Today’s had become like taking a cruise holiday but on an old historic ship, very cool.

Of course getting a boat off the Endeavour is all done by hand. First up a yard arm is tilted to one side (horizontal part of the mast where the sail hangs) so the yard arm sticks out near the boat, then attaching the boat to the yard arm through the rigging so it can be moved via rope, pulley’s and people-power. Nothing on the Endeavour is quick and easy, but soon the boat was in the water and I was climbing down the wooden rungs which are attached to the side of the hull, with several ropes attached to the railing of the ship for hand support. I was one of the very first ashore.

On shore with the waka’s from Tuia 250 in the background

There was a Maori Pa on Motuarohia Island which Captain Cook stopped at and visited 250 years ago, it is quite a strange feeling to think that I am on the Endeavour replica in the very bay he stopped at 250 years ago.

Also strange to be back on land after 4 days at sea, first time in my life I have been so long away from land.

Heading back to the Endeavour, she is a mighty fine looking ship

I of course had another swim, and unfortunately cut my hand on a rock, not bad but it kept bleeding so I grabbed the second to last ride back to the Endeavour, and during the very last ride dolphins appeared and they all jumped in and swam with the dolphins. It was a shame I missed this experience by a single boat ride – but with all the other experiences I am having are amazing so I can’t complain.

After dinner I went back up into the rigging for the last time, as tomorrow I leave the Endeavour to head back to my normal life.

The evening concluded with the crew learning several Maori songs to be used when we are welcomed onto the Marae at the lower treaty grounds tomorrow at Waitangi.

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Endeavour - cruising the Bay of Island 2