The 30m (100ft) long replica, called Sea Stallion, is said
to be the world's largest reconstructed Viking vessel.
It is based on a ship made nearly 1,000 years ago
in Ireland and which in 1962 was one of five excavated from the
Roskilde fjord.
A crew of 65 male and female volunteers are sailing
the 1,900km (1,200 miles) from Roskilde to Dublin, using only oar
and sail power.
The original, which was made in 1042, is believed
to have taken part in clashes between the Anglo-Saxons and Normans
in 1050-1060, when many Danish Vikings lived in Ireland.
The boat sank in the Roskilde fjord at the end
of the 11th Century, while defending the country's coast from Norwegian
Vikings.
It represented the pinnacle of Viking technology
and ship-building technique, designed to be very fast and manoeuvrable,
yet able to transport a large contingent of 60 warriors.
The ship would no doubt have evoked terror when
sighted by the Vikings' intended targets.
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The replica was constructed with around 300 oak
trees and 7,000 iron nails and rivets.
The rebuilding of the longship took a long time
and relied solely on traditional Viking tools and building methods
- the Vikings did not use saws and so every single piece of the
ship had to be hand cut and then shaped and hewn using axes, an
extremely skilled and lengthy process.
It has a top speed 15-20 knots (about 30km/h or
20mph), but is equipped with GPS satellite navigation and radar.
A modern support boat with medical and rescue experts will also
accompany the ship.
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The volunteer crew has already faced severe weather
conditions on the journey from Denmark to Norway, with several individuals
being taken off the Sea Stallion temporarily because they were showing
the early signs of hypothermia.
"This journey has been tough so far but the
crew are in high spirits and looking forward to reaching Scotland
and sailing in the Atlantic," said crew member Louise Henriksen.
The weather could yet thwart the attempt to cross
the North Sea by sail - the harsh weather conditions that have swept
across the UK are predicted to bring a gale which could blow the
Sea Stallion back towards Norway.
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Above is a photo (taken by photographer Werner
Karrasch) of the Sea Stallion's gunwhale reflected in the water
(compare this with the photo to the left).
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The team behind the project wants to know whether
the reconstructed ship is able to make the kind of journeys the
Vikings once made. To find out, the ship is being taken across the
North Sea to Orkney and on to Dublin.
The 65 members of crew on board face many challenges.
Each has a specific and vital role in the smooth running of the
ship. From captain to cook - everyone has their own responsibilities
and worries.
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The skipper |
Carsten, the skipper, is in charge of getting the
ship to Dublin in one piece. Before setting sail he commented: "It's
a big responsibility; I am always thinking about it, day and night,
and now the time to leave is coming I wake up in the night thinking
how will it go?"
Privacy is also impossible in such close quarters.
The ship has no shelter from the weather, no cleaning facilities
and no lavatories. They will be living virtually on top of each
other for six weeks and this will test their friendships to the
limit.
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1. The crew of 65 men and women will sleep on the
open deck, as the Vikings did, and take turn keeping watch
2. Satellite navigation equipment will make sure the ship stays
on course. Vikings had to rely on the position of the sun and stars,
the colour and movement of the sea and wind direction
3. Oak planks were cut radially for maximum strength, overlapped
and nailed together. Axes and other tools used to make the planks
were replicas of those used by the Vikings
4. The sail, mast, rigging and rudder on the original were missing
so these have been copied from other finds
5. Shields, vital in battle, were tied over the oarports when the
ship was in port
Sources: Viking Ship Museum, Denmark; National
Maritime Museum, UK. Photos: Werner Karrasch and Erwan Crouan |
