Experience the life of a 16th century explorer aboard the Golden
Hinde II, a full-sized reconstruction of the ship Sir Francis Drake used
to circumnavigate the globe between 1577-80.
Located in historic Bankside, with stunning views of the Thames.
Golden Hinde II was the dream of two American businessmen,
Albert Elledge and Art Blum, who, in 1968, wished to commemorate the
upcoming 400th anniversary of Sir Francis Drake’s landing on the west
coast of North America in 1579.
The approximate measurements of the vessel were determined from plans
for a wooden covering that was built around the original ship while it
was berthed in Deptford as a maritime museum during the sixteenth
century.
The actual task of building the galleon was undertaken by J. Hinks
& Son, a respected firm of shipbuilders in Appledore, Devon, with
over 100 years of experience in traditional craftsmanship.
They began the time-consuming process of sourcing the authentic
materials of oak, elm, pine, and fir needed, as well as researching
traditional hand-building methods and tools used to create the original
vessel.
The internal and external decorations were also meticulously planned,
including the Hinde figurehead, the lion’s head on the stern,
long-barreled guns, cooking utensils, and tools of the period.
Golden Hinde II was officially launched from the J. Hinks & Son shipyard by the Countess of Devon on 5th April 1973.
In 1979 Golden Hinde II crossed the Pacific to Japan to film the TV series “Shogun” starring Richard Chamberlain and John Rys-Davies.
After sailing back to Britain via the Suez Canal, in 1980 Golden Hinde II
was the centrepiece for the 400th anniversary celebrations of the
completion of Francis Drake’s circumnavigation in Plymouth. While there
filming was conducted for “Drake’s Venture” starring the late John Thaw
for Westward Television.
After a tour of Britain and Ireland, Golden Hinde II sailed
to Canada to appear in Expo ’86, and a year later began a four-year
expedition along the East and West Coasts of North America, returning to
the UK in 1991.
Following another successful tour, she finally settled down in her
current home at St Mary Overie Dock in 1996, leaving only for a brief
visit to the Southampton Boat Show in 2003.
[ http://www.goldenhinde.com/our-story/]
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