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The Fleet Replenishment Ship HMNZS ENDEAVOUR is the third ship to bear the name in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).  The first two, both ex US Naval vessels, were originally used in support of the NZ Antarctic Programme from 1956 to 1962 and 1962 to 1971 respectively, and he original being the HM Bark ENDEAVOUR that carried Captain James Cook, RN, on his first voyage to New Zealand.

Unlike her predecessors, the present ENDEAVOUR has been built specifically for the RNZN.  Although built essentially to a commercial tanker design and standards, she has been fitted with a variety of specialised equipment to permit her naval role to be fulfilled.

HMNZS ENDEAVOUR carries supplies and fuel for RNZN, Commonwealth and Allied surface units.  She can resupply ships at sea, or in overseas ports from the 7,500 tonnes of fuel in her eight tanks, or the supplies held in the four containers on deck.  Additionally ENDEAVOUR can provide fuel to helicopters fitted with in flight refuelling.

On 8 April 1988, ENDEAVOUR was commissioned for service with the RNZN and departed Ulsan, South Korea on her delivery voyage to New Zealand on 14 April 1988.
 
ENDEAVOUR’s motto ‘Nil intentatum’ means ‘Nothing unattempted’.  Her crest features a navigator’s compass and the stars of the Southern Cross, symbolising the pioneering navigations and survey work of Captain Cook.

Her home port is New Plymouth and she is affiliated with the IHC charity, New Plymouth. 

As the RNZN's purpose built fleet replenishment ship, ENDEAVOUR carries supplies and fuel to RNZN ships at sea and overseas ports. Supplies are carried in containers on deck and her holds can carry up to 7,500 tonnes of fuel. Commissioned in 1988, she is the third RNZN ship named ENDEAVOUR. The original ENDEAVOUR was Captain James Cook's ship on his first voyage to New Zealand.

Displacement		7300 tonnes
Length		138 metres
Beam		18 metres
Draught		4 metres
Machinery		One Mann Burmeister & Wain diesel developing 5300 horsepower.
Armament		Nil
Other
Speed		14 knots
Range		10,000nm
Complement		11 Officers and 38 Ratings.



 

                                                             Ships History Section 

                                                                                                     

                                                                            HMNZS Endeavour (A-184) 

                                                          Ship's Photo courtesy of WO Comms Jim Dell RNZN 

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                                                                         Patapsco Class Gasoline Tanker:

• Laid down, 1 August 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (T1-MT-M1) tanker hull, under a Maritime Commission contract at Cargill Inc., Savage, MN.
• Launched, 4 November 1944
• Commissioned USS Namakogon (AOG-53), 15 June 1945
• Decommissioned, 20 September 1957, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.
• Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
• Custody transferred to Commandant, 12th Naval District, 27 June 1962, for activation and transferred, under the Military Aid Program, to New Zealand, 5 October 1962
• Commissioned HMNZS Endeavour (A-184), an Antarctic supply ship
• Decommissioned and returned to US custody in 1971
• Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
• Struck from the Naval Register, 15 April 1976
• Transferred under the Security Assistance Program to Taiwan, 1 May 1976, renamed Lung Chuan (AOG-507)
• Lung Chuan (AOG-507) was decommissioned, 1 April 2005, at Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• Final Disposition, fate unknown.

                                                 

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