Havhingsten is underway!!!!

Havhingsten fra Glendalough is underway!!

Roskilde, Denmark---Dublin, Ireland.

Havhingsten (Sea Stallion) is an incredible vessel and holds the title of being the world's largest Viking Longship replica, measuring 30 meters from stem to stern (about 100ft). Her design was taken from the remarkably well-preserved remains of an identical ship sunk in Roskilde Fjord around 1080 and excavated in the 1960s. Among the most interesting finds during the excavation was the fact that the timber used to build the ship had been grown and felled around 1040 in the vicinity of Dublin, Ireland--then a Viking colony.

Given the ship's Irish roots, the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum decided that the replica should make a voyage to Dublin--partly as a publicity stunt, partly for research purposes. Many Viking ship replicas have been built and sailed, but never has a vessel of such size been built or tested on the open and fierce North Sea. This voyage will reveal much about the seaworthiness and handling of Viking Longships.

Havhingsten was launched in 2004 and training cruises for her 65-man/woman crew began almost immediately. I had the pleasure of sailing on one of those cruises last summer--Absolutely in-friggin'-credible!!!! (sorry, I'll get those photos up soon, I promise!).

They have a great website following the voyage that's worth checking out...

http://www.havhingsten.dk/index.php?id=277&L=1