James Cook grocer and haberdasher William Sanderson. Historians have speculated that this is where Cook first felt the lure of the sea while gazing out of the shop window. After 18 months, not proving suitable for shop work, Cook travelled to the nearby port town of Whitby to be introduced to friends of Sanderson's, John and Henry Walker. The Walkers, who were Quakers, were prominent local ship-owners in the coal trade. Their house is now the Captain Cook Memorial Museum. Cook was taken on as a merchant navy apprentice in their small fleet of vessels, plying coal along the English coast. His
Captain Cook Cruises, Australia operating from Circular Quay to Middle Harbour. In November 1971 a second cruise commenced via the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers as far as the Gladesville Bridge. In August 1975, the custom-built "Captain Cook II" built by Carrington Slipways, Tomago was commissioned. In August 1978, the "Lady Geradline" was built by Millkraft Shipyards, Brisbane. This was followed by "City of Sydney" built by Sims Engineering, Port Chalmers in 1981. In 1978 the original Northbridge marina was sold with a new facility purchased in Neutral Bay. In May 1984, the John Cadman Cruising Restaurant business was purchased. In 1987, Captain Cook