English brigantine Endeavour – a ship model kit from manufacturer Mamoli
History of the original
The Endeavour was James Cook's research vessel during his first voyage around the world from 1768 to 1771 and is one of the most important expedition vessels of the early modern era. Originally designed not as a warship but as a sturdy freighter, it was built in 1764 in Whitby in northern England under the name Earl of Pembroke. Its hull structure was similar to that of a Whitby collier, flat-bottomed, wide in the middle, with a full bow and stable stern, designed for transporting coal in the North Sea. This type of ship was characterised by its extraordinary load-bearing capacity, seaworthiness and resistance in heavy seas, qualities that led the Royal Navy to select the ship for its planned scientific expedition.
After its purchase by the Admiralty in 1768, it underwent extensive refitting in Deptford. The Endeavour was given a reinforced deck, additional frames, protective planking over the stem areas and rearranged rooms to safely accommodate tools, measuring instruments, provisions and scientific equipment. The rigging remained that of a fully rigged three-masted ship, but with the sail plan and rigging of a cargo ship that prioritised endurance and safety over speed. Its width of around nine metres, length of around 30 metres and draught of around four metres created a compact but voluminous and stable ship with a high load capacity. Around 94 crew members, including scientists, artists and sailors, made up the ship's community; among them were Joseph Banks, the botanist, and Daniel Solander from Sweden, accompanied by draughtsmen who documented the flora, fauna and ethnographic impressions.
The Endeavour set sail from Plymouth on 26 August 1768. Its first mission was to observe the transit of Venus across the sun in Tahiti, an event that was to serve to determine the astronomical unit and thus the scale of the solar system. After the successful completion of this scientific programme, the second mission, which had been kept secret until then, followed: the search for the hypothetical southern continent of Terra Australis. Cook sailed south and west via the Society Islands and reached the Australian continent on the east coast, in the area of today's Botany Bay, in April 1770. As a research platform, the Endeavour offered sufficient space for samples, measuring instruments and laboratory work, while its stable construction proved its worth during coastal voyages and anchoring manoeuvres.
The expedition continued along the Australian coast, accompanied by detailed surveying, mapping and nature observation. In June 1770, the Endeavour suffered severe grounding on the Great Barrier Reef, damaging its bottom planking and tearing open its frames. Only through improvised emergency measures, including the use of a fothering (a canvas-covered frame pulled under the hull to reduce water leakage), was the ship able to be held and subsequently repaired in Endeavour River. This incident demonstrated both the maritime competence of the crew and the substance and repairability of the ship type.
After further stages via the Torres Strait, Batavia (now Jakarta) and the Cape of Good Hope, the Endeavour returned to England in 1771. The voyage yielded new maps of large parts of the Pacific region, the first accurate representations of the east coast of Australia, and comprehensive botanical, zoological and ethnographic documentation. After the expedition, the Endeavour lost its immediate significance and was initially used as a transporter. In the 1790s, it served in the American War of Independence in the Rhode Island area and was eventually sunk as a hulk, presumably in 1778 in the port of Newport. Research dives and historical studies are still investigating the exact location of the wreck.
The Endeavour embodies the combination of solid merchant shipbuilding, scientific objectives and navigational foresight. Its value lay not in military power or exceptional speed, but in its endurance, load-bearing capacity and structural robustness, which enabled years of exploration in largely uncharted waters. As the ship of James Cook's first expedition, it marks the beginning of systematic European exploration of the Pacific, the cartographic exploration of the Australian continent and the transfer of scientific methods to maritime exploration. In the history of seafaring, it thus occupies the rank of an exemplary research vessel, whose construction and equipment combined functionality and scientific ambition in an era of fundamental geographical discovery.
Kit contents
The kit contains all the parts necessary to build the model. The keel and frames are precision laser cut. All wood and strips for the double planking are selected by hand. Some components are laser engraved for more attractive details. The fittings and lifeboat are made of simple cast metal. Rigging material and flags are included in the kit. Materials for a model stand and nameplate are also included. A set of sails is not included. Large construction plans and multilingual instructions guide you safely through the entire construction process.
Who is this kit suitable for?
The kit is only suitable for model builders with extensive experience in ship model building.
What else is needed?
Paints, adhesives and tools are required and can be found in our product range.
What do the building instructions look like?
The kit contains 3 very large plans and several pages with clear instructions in text and drawings. There is also a detailed parts list. A German translation is included. The kit has been revised and significantly improved, but the parts lists in the instructions are not yet up to date.
The booklet also contains instructions in English, Italian and French.
Instructions are not available for download.
Technical data:
Scale: 1:100
Length: 430 mm
Height: 360 mm
