WHITBY'S replica of Captain Cook's ship, HM Bark Endeavour, has now opened its doors to landlubbers.

The Endeavour Experience, which is housed within the replica in Whitby harbour, opened last weekend, in time for the Whitby regatta.

The opening saw the culmination of three months' work, during which the full-scale replica underwent a challenging journey down the coast from dry dock at Stockton to its mooring in the historic seaside town.

Since arriving at the beginning of June, it has been transformed into a visitor attraction with displays and interactive spaces, which show what life would have been like for Captain Cook's crew on the ship's lengthy sea voyages.

The final part of the replica's transformation involves the lowest deck, or the Orlop deck, which will house a 60 seater, fine dining restaurant when it opens later this month.

Owner Andrew Fiddler, who purchased Endeavour at auction last year for £155,000, has spent over £1 million on the transformation.

He said: "It is fantastic to see the Endeavour Experience opening, particularly as it has been such a personal mission to bring the ship to its rightful home in Whitby, where the original vessel was built.

"In a similar way that Cook would have had to have held his nerve at moments during the voyage, so we too have needed to show grit and determination to overcome some really challenging times in the journey to get here - particularly when it came to lifting the Endeavour by crane over the Tees Barrage.

"This makes it all the more special to be at the point where the ship can now be enjoyed by visitors of all ages and help complement the other Captain Cook attractions in Whitby."

For opening times, tickets and further information go to www.endeavourwhitby.com .