Endeavour Sailing 14/2/25 Friday: A look inside the Endeavour

The waist in the middle of the weather deck

Let me start today by describing the different levels on the Endeavor. There are three main areas on the ship, the outside weather deck with all the masts and rigging, then going down inside the ship you will find two inside levels, first the traditional 18th century deck, and below this is the modern 20th century deck.

The outside weather deck is based on the original 1770’s Endeavour sailing ship. I have discovered that the builders were very time specific. A lot of work and effort has gone into ensuing a very high level of detail to make the ship as accurate as possible. An example is the very top sails, the topgallants which are the smallest sails don't have bunt lines, vertical ropes though the middle of the sail, as topgallants bunt lines were not added until several decades later. Also, all the ropes are the same size as the original drawings for this class of ship. All of this makes sailing on the Endeavour as close to living history as possible.

The quarter deck at the rear of the weather deck

Descending down from the quarter deck to the waist section of the weather deck

Writing my diary in my new Kindle on the back of the raised quarter deck on the weather deck

Going downstairs takes you into the traditional 18th century deck, which is set out as it would have been in the 1700's. This is where the sailors would have lived with tables, benches, chests and a large iron oven/cooker. The 18th century deck looks amazing but is not often used except for sleeping and does not get a lot of light so be quite dark even during the middle of the day.

18th century deck with the stairs up to the weather deck

18th century deck, sitting on a bench beside a table with all the hammocks strung up during the day.

The oven/cooker is real, along with the benches and tables which are real enough but are not used to eat on, and only a few times did I see people sitting in the 18th century deck reading or relaxing, including myself. This 18th century deck is where the hammocks are hung for us voyager crew to sleep in, which is original.

In my hammock in the 18th century deck, safety harness and coats in the background

Safety harness and coats hung up in the 18th Century deck

At the forward end of the 18th century deck are small cabins where the professional crew bunk, then right at the front of the ship are bosun and carpenters work rooms and stores, all of which you need to bend over to get into.

At the aft end of the 18th century deck things getting really interesting. As the Endeavour was originally a coiler, a ship designed to carry coal in the North Sea around Britian, she had to be retrofitted for a multiyear trip around the world. This retrofit involved inserting a new deck at the rear of the ship cutting the last section of the 18th century deck in half. This created a new deck successfully at the rear of the ship.

Below this inserted floor, the lower 18th century deck continues on but only at waist height from this point onwards. If I double over, I can move through this space, watching my head on spare yard beams and other low beams hanging from the very low roof. Some people prefer to crawl through this space. This is where the marines used to sleep, and where a small number of voyager crew now sleep. Further along are where more of the professional crew sleep.

Below the inserted floor on the 18th Century Deck

Stairs heading up through the inserted floor

Stairs up through the inserted floor in the 18th century deck, with hammocks in the marines area used by some of mainmast watch to sleep

The space above the inserted deck has the raised quarter deck from the weather deck above as its roof, creating more head space. The entranceway and stairs are still only waist height, but beyond the entrance way is a room with a table and chest, which was the wardroom for the ship’s officers, now it is the space for the supernumeraries.

The supernumeraries are four people who pay for a private cabin and who don't need to work in the watches if they don't want to. Brad who is the supernumerary in mainmast watch is great, Brad is always on watch with the rest of us and helps out including galley duty; the other three supernumeraries are not so keen.

Captain of the Endeavour in the navigation room, note even sitting down his head almost touching the roof

Heading into wardroom on the inserted deck which cuts the 18th century deck in half at the rear of the ship

Leaving the wardroom

Stairs from the inserted deck onto the weather deck

These supernumeraries cabins are very tiny, and use tiny cots instead of hammocks. Beyond this space is the classic captain’s cabin. This is the biggest space in the ship and is called the Grand Cabin. As the quarter deck continues to rise as it goes aft, the grand cabin is a space where you can easily stand. This is the space used for meetings and lectures given by the crew.

The great cabin

The final third deck would traditionally have been used for storage, is called the 20th century deck with a modern kitchen, showers, toilets and dining room.

Mens locker room in the 20th century deck

Close up on my locker, I think I brought a bit to much

Through the back of the kitchen, along a narrow walkway, behind watertight doors is the engine room. At night, once an hour a safety walk through the ship is done with a focus on the engine and water in the bulges in the bottom of the ship. And another set of watertight door leads to the very back of the ship where a large fridge and large freezer are stored. The poor gallery hand has to go through the engine room 100 times a day for food and stores.

Where we eat

The amazing cook and galley hand hard at work