Ships_Cat
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Ships_Cat Meets Capt\'n Cook (and others)
In early April while wife and myself were anchored in Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand the replica of Captain James Cook's Endeavour briefly visited on her way back to her home port of Sydney, Australia as the completion of her circumnavigation (which included, of course, a visit to the UK). For those interested here are some photos of her (she also has an internet site http://www.barkendeavour.com.au).
Arrival in Ship Cove -
We felt genuinely privileged to find her anchoring as our neighbour -
Her departure for Sydney -
Immediately prior to sailing she fired a cannon salute to the great navigator.
For those not aware, Ship Cove was Cook's base for refitting and planning once arrived in this hemisphere for all of his 3 voyages of discovery - his first visit was in Jan, 1770 following his arrival in NZ in October, 1769. He discovered it quite by accident and is the only all weather anchorage in all of the outer Sounds at the top of South Island, even though it can be very windy in there - we have sat anchored in solid 50-65 knot winds in there, for example, and on occasions of just gusty conditions have had the spray whipped up higher than our second spreaders which are about 12m above the sea. Cook records having to put out lines to shore to secure the vessels in heavy winds.
The place reeks of his history and comparing his journals with the place is fascinating.
For example, in the photo of Endeavour departing the island behind is Motuara Island. On that island is where Cook took possession of the Sounds and all the surrounding lands. Immediately behind her (behind the small white boat) the small promontory off Motuara is where on his second voyage he and the astronomers established their observatory as one of Cook's tasks was to compare the determination of longitude by the lunar method and by the newly developed Harrison chronometer. For this he carried Kendall's K1 first copy of Harrison's chronometer plus 3 of Arnold's. K1 and one of Arnold's were carried by Cook on Resolution and the other 2 Arnold's by Furneaux on Cook's companion ship Adventure.
Cook also carried K1 on his third voyage on which William Bligh was master with Cook on Resolution; Bligh carried K2, the successor of K1, on HMS Bounty and K2 was later carried to Pitcairn Island by the mutineers who later sold it on to a whaler.
In the same photo, in the far distance under the high hills is the bay where Adventure lost 10 men to Maoris and members of the remaining crew found their only remains as baskets of cooked human flesh, 2 hands and one head. The men had gone across in a cutter to collect green grass for the livestock on the vessels.
Unfortunately, there is no physical evidence left from any of Cook's activities during the extended times that he was in the Cove.
Another sailing vessel, but modern. We often find ourselves in company with the sailing vessel Spirit of New Zealand, a barquetine, and once again found ourselves so on this trip -
She is "dedicated to the youth of New Zealand" but is not specifically for sail training. Rather the emphasis is on promoting adventure for youth using the sea as a medium so there are many shore type expeditions, etc. She followed us through Cook Strait on 23 April to Wellington, possibly with the same intentions as us, to get through before the forecast storm conditions. Several hours after our arrival the wind was ranging 45-65 knots in the marina and next morning the waverider buoy just outside Wellington Harbour was maxing at 11 m seas.
Hope you enjoyed the photos as I always enjoy those of others.
John
Photos hosted by xs.to.
In early April while wife and myself were anchored in Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand the replica of Captain James Cook's Endeavour briefly visited on her way back to her home port of Sydney, Australia as the completion of her circumnavigation (which included, of course, a visit to the UK). For those interested here are some photos of her (she also has an internet site http://www.barkendeavour.com.au).
Arrival in Ship Cove -
We felt genuinely privileged to find her anchoring as our neighbour -
Her departure for Sydney -
Immediately prior to sailing she fired a cannon salute to the great navigator.
For those not aware, Ship Cove was Cook's base for refitting and planning once arrived in this hemisphere for all of his 3 voyages of discovery - his first visit was in Jan, 1770 following his arrival in NZ in October, 1769. He discovered it quite by accident and is the only all weather anchorage in all of the outer Sounds at the top of South Island, even though it can be very windy in there - we have sat anchored in solid 50-65 knot winds in there, for example, and on occasions of just gusty conditions have had the spray whipped up higher than our second spreaders which are about 12m above the sea. Cook records having to put out lines to shore to secure the vessels in heavy winds.
The place reeks of his history and comparing his journals with the place is fascinating.
For example, in the photo of Endeavour departing the island behind is Motuara Island. On that island is where Cook took possession of the Sounds and all the surrounding lands. Immediately behind her (behind the small white boat) the small promontory off Motuara is where on his second voyage he and the astronomers established their observatory as one of Cook's tasks was to compare the determination of longitude by the lunar method and by the newly developed Harrison chronometer. For this he carried Kendall's K1 first copy of Harrison's chronometer plus 3 of Arnold's. K1 and one of Arnold's were carried by Cook on Resolution and the other 2 Arnold's by Furneaux on Cook's companion ship Adventure.
Cook also carried K1 on his third voyage on which William Bligh was master with Cook on Resolution; Bligh carried K2, the successor of K1, on HMS Bounty and K2 was later carried to Pitcairn Island by the mutineers who later sold it on to a whaler.
In the same photo, in the far distance under the high hills is the bay where Adventure lost 10 men to Maoris and members of the remaining crew found their only remains as baskets of cooked human flesh, 2 hands and one head. The men had gone across in a cutter to collect green grass for the livestock on the vessels.
Unfortunately, there is no physical evidence left from any of Cook's activities during the extended times that he was in the Cove.
Another sailing vessel, but modern. We often find ourselves in company with the sailing vessel Spirit of New Zealand, a barquetine, and once again found ourselves so on this trip -
She is "dedicated to the youth of New Zealand" but is not specifically for sail training. Rather the emphasis is on promoting adventure for youth using the sea as a medium so there are many shore type expeditions, etc. She followed us through Cook Strait on 23 April to Wellington, possibly with the same intentions as us, to get through before the forecast storm conditions. Several hours after our arrival the wind was ranging 45-65 knots in the marina and next morning the waverider buoy just outside Wellington Harbour was maxing at 11 m seas.
Hope you enjoyed the photos as I always enjoy those of others.
John
Photos hosted by xs.to.
