Mariners equipment

The crew had to fold their hammocks very tightly, so small that they would fit through this rope loop, then they were stowed under the roof of their dining area. We were shown some of the sailors measuring "tools". One was a lump of lead tied to long knotted rope which was used to find the depth of water the ship was in. The lead was about 10" long and 5 " in diameter. This caused me to wonder if it was connected to the expression "swinging the lead" describing a lazy person. And lo in a second I get the answer from the amazing Internet! The lazy sailor stood and swung the lead without dropping it into the sea and hauling it back up - heavy work - until he thought someone would see him. You can just make out the lead sitting on the edge of the table here. The other tool we were shown was for measuring the speed a log line and reel - a triangle of wood on a knotted rope. One side of the triangle has to be part of a circle. It was tossed into the sea at the back of the ship and allowed to drag in the water for the length of time their hourglass sand ran through which was 28 seconds and the number of knots in that rope that were run out off a reel was the speed of the ship expressed as - knots. A knot is one nautical mile... One nautical mile is 6,076 feet or 1.852 kilometers per hour. I did not see the floating compass and primitive sextant or the large steering wheel - helm connected by large ropes to the rudder.

Midi-mates' Mess and Officers Cabins

After the Main Mess Deck there was a Midi-mates Mess and Officers' Cabins - here you could not stand but crouch or go on all fours as the roof was only 4 foot 6 inches high. The boys apprenticed to officers and servants and also looked after the the animals, slept in hammocks that did not hve to be rolled up. Midshipmen and the 12 Royal Navy Marines also slept here. The Royal Marines were the policemen so slept with rifle to hand and their quarters were very sparse. The entrances to the stores of food and water below this deck had to be guarded by them at all times too. The Officers here were: the ships surgeon, the Captain's Clerk, 2nd and 3rd Leutenants, and Gunner, some in private cabins. Some Officers had their own rooms with walled hammocks and shared the Mess Room on the next deck up with a roof of 4 foot 5" high, with the Officers and Gentlemen where there was a sideboard and a drop sided table.

Captains quarters

At the very back of the ship reserved for the Captain and in this expedition Joseph Banks the botanist, men on the our tour were stooping. This room was bright and airy. Also it had a small fireplace and good desk and many leather bound books and a very large table for maps etc. There was more on this tour to the top of the back of the ship where in fact the sheep, goats, chickens were housed. Also they were shown the steering wheel and its many ropes attached to the rudder and the navigation instuments . On the rear deck no ordinary crew were allowed, only officers. More Information about this floating working sailing ship/museum here. For a photograph of this ship under full sail see the Museum site here

Marionettes and music - Box Hill

SS Enterprize docking Melbourne

The Sailing Ship Enterprize is a topsail schooner replica of the first ship that brought settlers to the Yarra in Port Phillip, now Melbourne. This photograph was taken looking down on her from the front of the HM Bark Endeavour at Docklands Melbourne.