Enterprize and Bark Endeavour tall ships Melbourne Docklands in April

by Rod Thomas on 4 Apr 2012 In the second half of April there is a rare opportunity to view two traditionally rigged tall ships in Melbourne's Docklands, and to go out on for a sail on Melbourne’s tall ship Enterprize.

The Bark Endeavour, the replica of James Cook's 18th century Endeavour, will be docked at Waterfront City, Docklands and open for public inspection for twelve days from 18 to 29 April. Over this period Melbourne's tall ship Enterprize will have a series of midweek and weekend sailings in the Docklands-Lower Yarra waterways and in the northern end of Port Phillip.

On the morning of Monday 16th the Enterprize will rendezvous with Endeavour on the waters off Williamstown and render a traditional honours welcome. The action should be in view mid morning from the car park on Point Gellibrand. The Enterprize has a limited number of places available for passengers on a four hour trip leaving Williamstown at 9am for the unique rendezvous with Endeavour and the trip up the Yarra with her to berth at Docklands.

Enterprize has a full program of public trips in April including :

*Easter sailings at Rye, with one hour sails and early evening cruise from the Rye Pier Friday sixth to Sunday 8th April. There is a longer port transit trip on Monday 9th April from Rye to Melbourne Docklands which would suit people interested in a longer tall ship sail.

* On 18th April Enterprize will be pierside at Waterfront City Docklands from 1pm to 5pm. There is an early evening dusk cruise of 1.5 hours departing at 5.30pm, with schools sails in Docklands in the morning.

* One Hour Sails in Melbourne Docklands from 11am on Saturday 21 April, Sunday 22 April, and from 12.30pm on Anzac Day, Wednesday 25 April.

* A static display with the Alma Doepel Trust at Ocean Education Centre, North Wharf Road from 10am to 4pm on Sunday 22 April as part of the Australian Heritage Week.

There is also an Enterprize pirate weekend in Geelong on the first weekend of May, where people dress up as a pirate and participate in on-water and land based activities.

Melbourne's tall ship Enterprize is operated by a not for profit trust, and has a year round program of sailings in Melbourne and Victorian waters. Information and online bookings are available on www.enterprize.org.au.
Telephone 9621 1294 during office hours.

Further details of the visit to Melbourne by HM Bark Endeavour including ship opening times and admission prices are available on www.endeavourvoyages.com.au. HM Bark Endeavour is an Australian built replica of the Endeavour sailing ship which Captain Cook skippered on an epic world voyage from England across 1768-71, a voyage which included the first charting of the East Coast of Australia.