This is the reconstructured Viking Longship called Sea Stallion (Havhingsten), on it’s voyage from Roskilde in Denmark to Dublin in Ireland.
It took place from 1st of July to the 14th of August 2007 and will begin it’s journey back the 30th of June 2008. So be sure to mark your calendar to be able to follow it’s voyage back!
There have been a lot of sailing experiments with replica ships that have confirmed the true excellence of the speedy Viking ships design – they have achieved speeds of up to 14 knots. It was that ship design that made the vikings so successful. I’m very impressed by them, considering that they already that early had skills like that.
Oh, I would have given anything to really find out exactly how brilliant minds they had at that time – or to have been sailing with them back then! Even though the drekar (dragon-headed longships) were filled with warriors. They crossed open oceans under sail and switch to oars in time for their lightning-fast hit-and-run attacks.
The longships is said to be highly maneuverable and have no problem with shallow waters either. They steered it using a single side rudder to the right – the steering board side. The term starboard might originate from the Viking era.
I found an excellent webpage with more details about the Viking Ship Construction.
They have spotted gravestone art on Gotland (island at Swedens east coast) picturing ships with sails as early as around 700.
The earliest remains of a mast comes from a ship built about 815 and buried at Oseberg about 835, which you can read more about in RennyBA’s post about The Norwegian Viking Ships.
What an amazing experience it must be for the people participating in this voyage with the Sea Stallion, like being thrown back in the time!!!
I hope they don’t get too carried away though and begin plundering also…. *giggles*
Read more about Havhingsten fra Glendalough here
Captain Viking Lifecruiser
I would love to be on the Sea Stallion Viking Ship too! I love learning about history but one thing is that I would get sea sick so maybe it’s a good thing that I’m not on it this time! Very interesting!
I love the look of wiking ships, but prefer a cruise on another ship if I have to paddle ! Anyway they would throw me in the water after 5 min because I would always paddle in the reverse sense, I am dyslexic !
By the video they were lucky and had a good bit of weather. Imagine being out when it was stormy! They certainly did have courage in sailing on! Very cool. Loved the story on the naked ladies posing! LOL Now that takes courage!!
Yea, I’ve heard of this voyage and you’ve made a very readable post here. It’s amazing how they dare go out in the open sea with open boats like this – it takes courage!
Hi Captain,
Many thanks for putting a link up to the naked calendar, much appreciated.
Cheers Mark
Great find, first time on your blog and I got to say it’s pretty nice.
Whenever I think of vikings I always think of the scene from the 13th warrior where they are out at sea in a storm with montserous waves all around.
Who knows they could have ruled the world at some point, if only their mythology would have allowed.
Very interesting post Captain – I missed it while we were travelling back to England. Especially interesting as I was born in Ireland.