SAILING VESSEL OFFERS WINDOW TO HISTORY.Byline: David Greenberg The creator of this article, or someone who has substantially contributed to it, may have a conflict of interest regarding its subject matter. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Daily News Staff Writer Lovers of the sea and the tall ships that attempted to tame it may now lay down their history books and relive the experience of 18th century sailors. The Endeavour, a reproduction of the three-masted, 152-foot long ship commandered by Capt. James Cook, has vacant hammocks available for as many as 36 people who want to embark on a five-day journey to Morro Bay beginning May 10. ``When you're out at sea, out of sight of land, you wouldn't know what time period you're in,'' said Paul Tingey, one of the ship's officers and its permanent carpenter. ``It's an enormously exciting experience. This is living history.'' Cook, an Englishman, discovered New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. and Australia's east coast in a similar vessel some 230 years ago - charting the areas with precision. The faux Endeavour was built by the Australian National Maritime Museum The Australian National Maritime Museum, a maritime museum operated as a statutory authority of the Australian Government, is located at Darling Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales. from corporate and private donations totaling $17 million Australian dollars - roughly $13 million in American money, Tingey said. The ``museum ship'' was completed in 1991 and commissioned three years later, touring the world since. Currently headed up the Pacific Coast - Morro Bay is its next destination - the vessel will end its world tour in Sydney next April in time for the Summer Olympics. Meanwhile, as many as 600 people are expected to board the vessel daily next Sunday for tours guided by the 15 permanent crew members and Ventura County Maritime Museum A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on seas and lakes. A naval museum focuses on navies and military use of the sea. staffers. The ship offers no heat or air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. , hammocks instead of beds, a deck to be scrubbed, a compass to stay on course, a reproduction of a 200-year-old wood burning stove and rigs that must be climbed to unleash the massive sails tied 120-foot tall masts. ``It's a lot more work,'' said Mike Thompson For other persons named Mike Thompson, see Mike Thompson (disambiguation). C. Michael Thompson (born January 24, 1951), American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing California's At-large , who along with his wife, Judith, had sailed down to Port Hueneme Port Hueneme (wī'nē`mē), city (1990 pop. 20,319), Ventura co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast; founded 1870, inc. 1948. It has an artificial deep-sea harbor and is the site of a huge naval construction-battalion (Seabee) center. from San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden in their own modern 40-foot vessel and were touring the Endeavour on Saturday. ``Everything is done by hand. We have mechanical advantages and newer, modern designs.'' For Kim Farr, 34, of Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. , the tour was a nostalgia trip. ``To think that people actually went around like this - especially sleeping in hammocks, is pretty fascinating,'' she said. ``Sailing on the five-day adventure costs $750 per person. Participants must be at least 18 years old. Daily tours of the ship cost $10 for adults 18 and older, $5 for children and $8 for seniors 65 and older, as well as military personnel. ``Any money that is made goes into the running of the ship,'' said Tingey, adding that operation costs $5,000 a day. ``It never makes a profit.'' Tickets may be purchased at the maritime museum, 2731 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura. Shuttle service to the ship is provided between 9:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. Those who brave the five-day journey may take comfort in the fact that an on-board chef makes bread, pasta, roasts, soups, cakes and other delicacies. ``We eat like kings, Tingey said. ``None of us are falling over with scurvy scurvy, deficiency disorder resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the diet. Scurvy does not occur in most animals because they can synthesize their own vitamin C, but humans, other primates, guinea pigs, and a few other species lack an enzyme .'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1) A reproduction of the famed British sailing ship Endeavour sits docked at Port Hueneme. Tour tickets available at the Ventura County Maritime Museum. (2) Visitors read information about the historical vessel, which sailed the vast Pacific Ocean under the command of Capt. James Cook in the 18th century. (3) Ian Roth, 3, peers out a window on the Endeavour during a visit to the carefully reproduced sailing ship Saturday in Port Hueneme. The ship was built by the Australian National Maritime Museum with corporate and private donations. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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