Replica of Captain Cook's ship Endeavour up for sale for £1.5m

A replica of Middlesbrough explorer Captain Cook's ship has gone up for sale - for a whopping £1.5m.

The ship, called HMS Endeavour, is one of only two exact replicas in the world and is based in Whitby, North Yorkshire. The other replica is in Sydney, Australia.

It was listed on Rightmove as a hospitality facility for sale, and described as "one of Whitby's most visual and iconic tourist attractions".

Although the boat cannot sail itself, the listing, by Nationwide Business Sales, says it can be "relocated anywhere in the world and used for whatever purpose the new owner chooses".

Head of Sales Simon Burbridge told ITV Tyne Tees: "I expect a high level of interest from both local business operators.

"In this particular case I expect a much greater amount of attention on a national and international level, due to the fact that the ship can be relocated."

Mr Burbidge said the ship is comparable to "having an Apollo Space Ship" as there are "very few comparable vessels in history".

HMS Endeavour was the ship used by Captain James Cook to explore the world on his three voyages between 1768 and 1779.

He journeyed in the Pacific Ocean and across to New Zealand and Australia.

Captain Cook was born in Marton-on-Cleveland in Middlesbrough in 1728 and became one of the world's best-known explorers.

He was killed during his third voyage in the Pacific, when he encountered the Hawaiian islands and tried to take hostage the chief of the island during a dispute.

The ship is up for sale for offers over £1.5m and is expected to have interest from buyers all around the world.

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