Bermuda -- and local mariners and land lovers alike are invited to come aboard.

A replica of the HM Bark Endeavour , commanded by Lt. James Cook in 1768, will sail from Halifax to Bermuda next month.

For any souls brave enough to weather the trans-Atlantic crossing, the ship will provide a bona fide trip back to the past.

But "this is not a cruise'', a spokesperson for the H.M. Bark Foundation warned.

"Crew members take on a demanding routine of sailing around the clock, lectures, eating and catching sleep in hammocks between watches,'' she explained. "Although experience is not necessary, applicants must be physically fit, able to go aloft to 130 feet in all weather, and not suffer chronic sea sickness.'' There is also no smoking or drinking on ship.

The floating museum -- which has been described as the "best replica'' ever built -- first set sail on the high seas from Fremantle, Australia in 1994.

Designed to be as close to Lt. Cook's original discovery vessel as possible, the Endeavour is 109 feet long and 29 feet on the beam, and displaces 550 tons.

Since 1994 she has covered more than 30,000 nautical miles in tours of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom as part of a global circumnavigation.

But more than two centuries ago, the original Endeavour led the way for future generations with her three-year around-the-world trip under the command of one of the world's greatest explorers and navigators.

Lt. Cook's influential charting and surveying of the South Pacific, New Zealand, and Australia forever altered both world maps and botanical knowledge.

Even now, in an age where European "discoveries'' and treatment of indigenous populations have been challenged, Lt. Cook is noted for the respect and fair treatment shown to the numerous different cultures he and his crew encountered.

Endeavour's Bermuda journey will begin on October 20 and end on October 30.

Persons interested in participating should contact Chris Heslop at 297-7221.

For less adventurous souls, the Endeavour will be berthed at the Number Five Dock in Hamilton and open to the public from October 31 to November 2.

Admission fees are $25 for a family of five, $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens, and $5 for children under 17. School and youth discounts are available.

ON THE ROPES -- A crewman aboard the Endeavour takes to the rigging to trim the sails. Voyage participants are expected to live and work in 18th Century style -- just like explorer James Cook's men.

TIME MACHINE -- The H.M. Bark Endeavour -- a full scale replica of the famous 18th Century ship sailed around the world by Lt. James Cook -- will visit Bermuda in the last week of October.