Sunday, October 12, 2008

Joe loves boats, viking ship musuem at Roskilde

Here I stand, at the bow of The Sea Stallion from Glendalough, a reconstruction of a 30-meter long Viking warship. The original ship was one of five boats salvaged from the bottom of the fjord at Roskilde. These boats were found based on local legend of the Viking era. Their remains were excavated and preserved in the 1960’s. It is believed that the boats were scuttled to block the canal from invaders over one thousand years ago. Today, the remains are displayed at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, and reconstructions of all five boats float in the museum harbor.












The Sea Stallion.









In 2007, The Sea Stallion from Glendalough, was sailed (and rowed) from Rosklide to Dublin, where the Vikings had made the original ship.


















A fearing drying in the sun after receiving a fresh coat of tar.










An oarlock made from a natural crook.










The stems and keelson awaiting planking.









Interesting way to attach a rudder. Two attachment points: the upper, just below the rail; the lower, underwater near the point of the rudder.












Pretty as they get.









Delicate oarlock, same boat as above.









The harbor.









Frederikkson fishing boat, 1900’s









Inside the museum, the remains of the thousand year old viking ships.









The Sea Stallion’s yard.









A clever forestay tensioning device on a smaller boat.