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Published: August 31st 2005
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HMS Endeavour
Endeavour sailing towards the Port of Gothenburg. I was working in Gothenburg at the time when I by blind luck happened to come across a note about a planned visit by the HMS Endeavour. It was announced on the website of the Swedish East Indiaman project, which is tracking the progress of the rebuilding of a replica of the 18th century merchantman Götheborg, a ship that used to ply the trade to South East Asia back in the day. Götheborg met an unfortunate ending when she - after two years of travel - ran aground just outside Gothenburg harbour in 1745, its precious cargo lost in the waves.
More than 250 years later a project was started to rebuild a replica of this famous ship. At the time of my visit the ship is slowly nearing completion, and is planned to take a crew of hopefulls across the Atlantic to South America and further on round Cape Horn, through the Indian Ocean and finally visit a number of ports in South East Asia in late 2005. Read more about the East Indiaman project
here. Meanwhile, the HMS Endeavour is a similar replica of the rigged bark used by Captain James Cook, famed explorer and conqueror. Her modern
Götheborg
The Swedish East Indiaman is coming along nicely. day replica has been sailing the oceans for a while already, now flying the Australian flag. You can find information about the Endeavour
here.
The East Indiaman website announced a special boat trip for the project sponsors, but I gave them a call and inquired if it was possible to tag along, and for a mere 100 SEK that could be arranged. The Endeavour was to arrive at Gothenburg port early morning, so I had to arrange for a taxi to pick me up at the hotel at 5.30. We meet up at the pier where the East Indiaman is anchored, in the shadow of the once mighty crane of the Eriksberg shipyard. In total about 25 or so have joined, I seem to be the only tourist around. We are given a short briefing about the status of the Götheborg which has only had the lower segments of her masts erected. She is an impressive vessel, and with full masts and sails she must be quite a sight.
We are given a quick orientation and soon a small vessel picks us up to take us out to meet the Endeavour just outside of the Port of Gothenburg.
HMS Endeavour
Steady as she goes cap'n! We are also served a simple breakfast aboard, a sandwich and coffee which comes very welcome. On the way we pass the container terminal and the old fortress Älvsborgs fästning until we can make contact with the visiting ship. The weather is splendid and the sun has just gone up. The air is a bit chilly but thankfully there is no wind. Those of us employing cameras have already gone upstairs on deck and started surveying the horizon. We need not wait very long, the Endeavour is right on schedule. We meet up and travel alongside with a small military escort of a single Marine landing craft. As the Endeavour reaches the city a tug from Röda Bolaget is welcoming her with a plume of water from her water cannon, the watery umbrella producing a marvellous rainbow effect around her. Sadly, at this point I am already out of film.
The Endeavour is docking near the Götheborg vessel and we are allowed onboard to inspect her ourselves. Seeing the rugged sailors on the wet deck I am thankful that I am not seeking an opportunity to sail with the Götheborg to Asia, I cannot even begin to appreciate the
Björn af Röda Bolaget
Björn is preparing to launch a welcoming cascade of water. hardships of this life. This beautiful autumn morning is now over and I reluctantly take a taxi to the office to begin yet another day of IT project madness, but as they say, that is a completely different story...
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