Tours Begin Aboard Replica of Captain Cook Sailing Ship

Tours of the H.M. Bark Endeavour, a nearly exact replica of Captain James Cook’s 18th century sailing ship, will begin today at the Seabee base in Port Hueneme.

The replica arrived Friday, 230 years after Cook circumnavigated the world with the vessel.

The floating 109-foot museum is making a nine-day stop during its four-year world tour, which began in Australia in October 1996. The Endeavour is spending the spring along the California coast and is slowly heading north toward Vancouver.

The thousands of expected visitors will take self-guided walking tours of Endeavour’s four decks. Numerous docents will also be on hand to answer questions.

Visitors can purchase their $10 tickets from the Ventura County Maritime Museum, which will run shuttles every 15 minutes to Wharf C, where the vessel is docked. Buses will run between 9:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. today through May 9.

For more information, call 984-6260.