Ballot to select Endeavour crew to watch transit of Venus at Lord Howe

The Australian National Maritime Museum today announced HMB Endeavour will voyage to Lord Howe Island in May 2012 to follow in James Cook’s wake and observe the Transit of Venus – a rare astronomical event where the planet Venus moves across the sun.

And for the first time, the museum will hold a special ballot to select the 35 paying crew for the 13-day return trip to Lord Howe.

The Endeavour Transit of Venus voyage is particuarly significant as James Cook’s main reason for undertaking the voyage on which he became the first to chart the east coast of Australia and claim it for England, was to observe the 1769 transit from Tahiti. By observing a transit, astronomers could for the first time calculate the distance from the Earth to the Sun with some accuracy.

“This voyage will echo James Cook’s first mission as Master of Endeavour more than 240 years ago,” said museum director Mary-Louise Williams today.

“And it really will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience… to view the transit of Venus from the replica of Cook’s ship. And if you miss this voyage, your next opportunity won’t be for over a century with the next transit taking place in December 2117.

“There is already a great deal of interest in this voyage and we felt the fairest way to select crew was to hold a ballot,” she said.

This voyage is held in partnership with Sydney Observatory and the Lord Howe Island Board and will depart Sydney on 31 May, returning on 12 June 2012. The ship will arrive at Lord Howe Island on 5 June in time to observe the transit of Venus on 6 June. Astronomer Carlos Bacigalupo and a museum curator will be on board, blogging, giving talks and asssiting with the observations on the Island.

Voyage fees are $4000 for a voyage crew (hammock) berth and $8000 for ‘supernumerary’ (cabin) berths. All meals on board and participation in transit of Venus observation activities on Lord Howe Island are included.

Voyage crew are expected to ‘learn the ropes’ and become part of the ship’s crew…sleeping in hammocks, climbing the rigging, setting sails and manning the helm.

Three supernumerary berths with individual cabins, the scientists’ cabins on the original ship, are also available for those who prefer a little more comfort and less work on deck.Anyone interested in joining the voyage as paying voyage crew or supernumeraries are invited to enter the ballot on the museum’s website www.endeavourvoyages.com.au.

The ballot will open at 9.00  am on Wednesday 18 January 2012 and will close at midnight on Friday 10 February 2012 (AEDT). The 35 voyage berths will be drawn on Monday 20 February, and the successful appications will be notified within five business days. For full terms and conditions of the ballot please visit the website.

The Endeavour replica is currently half-way through a historic 13-month circumnavigation of Australia which will see it visit 18 ports around the country. It arrived in Albany on 12 January and opened to visitors on 14 January for 5 days. The next port of call is Port Lincoln in Feburary.

Owned and operated by the Australian National Maritime Museum, Endeavour is widely acknowledged as one of the most accurate maritime replicas in the world. When not sailing, the ship is moored at the museum and open for public inspection. 

For more information about the voyage  phone (02) 9298 3777 or visit www.endeavourvoyages.com.au.