Drama at the Nore Race 2025

After last year’s successful completion of the Nore Race’s short course, it was decided to enter
again this year and continue showing the flag.

Endeavour Book Coming Soon!

With 2026 marking the centenary of Endeavour’s launch, the Trust is currently hard at work putting together a book to celebrate her remarkable story; the little ship from humble beginnings that became a war hero and a film star!

We’re reviewing old documents and fact checking everything we can to make sure we tell the story as best we possibly can.

Of course, any story about Endeavour is really a story about the people that built her, worked her and restored her, and we’re hoping to celebrate the Old Leigh fishing industry as a whole. 

The book won’t be ready for a while, but as soon as we have a publication date, we’ll make sure you know it and how to order a copy. 

Fancy Crewing for Endeavour?

It was an objective for last year that we would take Endeavour out under sail. The virus put paid to that, but we would love to see her sailing again as soon as possible.

We’d love to do more trips and outings —  whether under sail or on motor — giving more people the opportunity to enjoy Endeavour, but to do this, we need more volunteers.

If you’re an enthusiastic weekend sailor, you’re exactly who we’d like to hear from! Training can be provided. Get in touch and as soon as we can, we’ll have you out on the water with us sharing Endeavour with the world again.

We also need people to help with maintenance and fundraising. Any time you can spare can be put to good use.

Please send an email to rob@endeavourtrust.co.uk for more information, and thank you to those that have already contacted us via the printed/emailed newsletter!

Home at Last!

Endeavour arrived back in Leigh in the early hours of June 9th having been sailed from St Osyth. Tide times meant skipper Paul Gilson and Alan Barrtram, his crew, had extra hours at sea waiting for Leigh Creek to become navigable. They were finally able to tie up at Bell Wharf at around 2am.

VROOM VROOM or Softly Softly - Mike King

Sketch drawing from John Leather's
wonderful book, Smacks and Bawleys,
depicting Endeavour motoring with another
cockler under sail.

When Endeavour was built in 1924 she was the first Leigh cockle boat to have an engine fitted. This was to enable her to return to the cockle sheds as quickly as possible after the harvesting – the other boats would be slower because they relied on the wind, which might not be friendly. Thus, she marked the transition, in Leigh, between fishing under sail and by motor.

How It All Started - Back to Dunkirk 2005 - Mike King

Approaching Strand Wharf  

After returning to Leigh fully restored, but needing electrics fitted, a full paint, and sails and rigging being installed, our beauty seemed ready for anything!

But all the work was very time (and money) consuming, and the return to Dunkirk at the end of May presented a major challenge. We also wanted to have some public celebration of her return to Leigh and seaworthiness, so many volunteers pitched in, and a date was set for her re-launch on Saturday 23rd April at Strand Wharf. Very suitable as it was St. George’s Day.

Crowds collected, bunting was flown and then she came into view, and moored up in full glory, except that she was still painted grey – one of the few jobs still to be done.

Rev Margaret Miller blesses Endeavour,
champagne bottle in hand in readiness

Many celebrities were present including five Dunkirk veterans, two MP’s (President David Amess and long term supporter David Atkinson) and the band of the Salvation Army.

Prayers were said, and a bottle of bubbly was broken on her bows – lots of cheering.

Margaret Miller minister at Wesley Methodist Church was welcomed on the RNLI fast rescue boat and was last seen roaring towards Southend in her full regalia!!

Thanks to the generosity of John Cross the workers and Trust members were invited to lunch at the Boatyard Restaurant, when a few more speeches were made.

Wreaths on board to be placed
in the water in Dunkirk

Endeavour finally set off, leaving from Bell Wharf. Here Trevor Osborne handed Paul a wreath of flowers in honoured memory of Frank and Leslie Osborne, Harry Noakes and Harold Porter who lost their lives on ‘Renown’, destroyed on the return from Dunkirk in 1940. This was placed in the hold alongside another from the Trust.

Then she was off, skippered by Paul Gilson, with Peter Dolby, Finlay Marshall and Steve Cocks as crew.

A large party went by coach and linked up with Endeavour for the anniversary celebrations in Dunkirk, and we all sighed with relief and pleasure that the restoration was complete.

How It All Started - The Last Lap - Mike King

After returning to Leigh on a lorry Endeavour was completely restored, fitted with a new engine and electrics, and almost ready to be re-launched. But as with all things, the final preparations raised a few difficulties.

When she came back she was painted in a grey undercoat and needed to be over-painted in her original colours: Shannon green for the hull and red anti-slip decks. Under the waterline she needed to be painted with anti-fouling to stop weed and molluscs fouling up the hull and to deter wood-boring pests (yes worms that drill into wood are present in our waters, and can destroy a boat very quickly). Ron Myall very kindly applied all the necessary painting to leave her looking great. 

But there was one further matter to be attended to - ballast. All craft need to have a low centre of gravity to ensure they don't capsize and when Endeavour was cockling their weight would provide this, but without it she would be very sensitive in a sea-way. One solution was to add concrete inside which is often done, but can create problems of its own. Lead is the best material. This was agreed upon and Peter Wexham and I started the hunt for suitable ingots. Firstly we discovered that lead seemed to be only a little cheaper than gold, then became concerned that we might be putting lead from some Essex church roof into Endeavour!
We enlisted the help of Ron Frasle* who used his contacts to get us a reputable dealer at an affordable price. So it was delivered - all 8 tons of it! Two strong men, Paul Gilson and Steve Cocks fitted the ingots into the hold.

Then - the moment of truth - back into the water. Ron Frasle at the controls of the crane at Leigh Marina eased her into the water and she floated exactly to her original works. Job done!!

Next was to organise a celebration and public recognition of her importance to the history of Leigh as a maritime village. We decided on a re-christening which we will re-live in the next newsletter. To be continued...

* Sadly, Ron very recently lost his fight against cancer. We will pay fitting tribute in the next newsletter.

Brian Kennell Boatbuilders

The shipwright responsible for Endeavour's restoration, Brian Kennell, has been in touch to tell us that he now has a website. Brian Kennell Boatbuilders.

It's Grass!

When she originally returned to Leigh, Endeavour was in a pitiful state. 

This photo shows her in Leigh Marina Yard (ex J&J) when the chipboard used for ‘repairs’ is obvious.

On the left of the photo, you can see where grass and weeds had taken root on her deck.