History

History

Sails Resort On Golden Beach History

Sails Resort was built in 1995 on the site where Bill Goodchild and his sons, Rob, Stephen and Peter devoted their entire energies since 1975, to reproduce Captain Cooks historic vessel, the bark, “HMS Endeavour” as she really appeared in 1770.

The 2/3 size replica stood in a “dry dock” overlooking the Glasshouse Mountains that Cook named and which led the early explorers to establish a colony at Moreton Bay. The Goodchilds were inspired by the journals of James Cook, a story of leadership, seamanship, hard work and determination.
Bills wife, Barbie and daughter-in-law, Helen served appetising Devonshire Teas and Ploughmans Lunches in the adjacent “Captains Pantry” restaurant.
Admission charges and the proceeds from the kitchen were transformed into timber, rope, steel cable and metal fittings and in between bouts with the saw and hammer Bill took time out to give visitors a graphic account of the project and its historic background.
Stepping into the ‘tween decks’, you could take a glimpse into history. In the officers mess and quarters were suspended tables to counteract the rolling of the ship, the carpenters bench with its neat array of tools, the sail and gunpowder lockers, the surgeons quarters and the casks that held the ‘spiritual reinforcement’ for the crew and a wide array of foodstuffs for the crew of 94.

On the deck where the fresh sea breeze blew in from Pumicestone Passage, visitors could spin the wheel that kept the ship on course, ring the ships bell that marked the change of watch and gaze upwards at the towering fore and main masts and dream of the romance of life at sea, nautical expressions and the salty atmosphere of when ships like the Endeavour ruled the waves.

The Endeavour replica was relocated to the Waterfront Tavern at Didillibah where sadly it eventually succumbed to lightning strikes, termites and rats.

12-min
8-min
6-min
1-min