Sea Stallion sails again!
Sunday 21st July, Sea Stallion will begin a three week long voyage round Sjælland, with a course set towards Copenhagen. Before the 60-strong crew can take up their oars however, their departure will be celebrated with a spectacular event on Saturday 20th July.
With its crew of 60, the Viking Ship Museum’s impressive longship, Sea Stallion from Glendalough, begins its summer voyage on Sunday 21st July. The 30 meter long warship will sail together with Viking ship ‘Aslak’ from Lyndby and the medieval ship ‘Agnete’ from the Middle Ages Centre in Nykøbing Falster. The three ships will leave the Viking Ship Museum’s harbour at 11:00, to set sail for their next harbour on Orø.
Sea Stallion and 'The RAID' occupy Sjælland from the seaward side
The ships are packed with unusual historical experiences, and from the 20th – 31st July, the three ships – with Sea Stallion in front – will sail as part of the historical festival 'TOGTET' - 'The Raid', visiting the following towns on Sjælland: Roskilde, Orø, Rørvig, Kalundborg and Korsør. TOGTET is arranged by the historical attractions in the Mid and West Sjælland Culture Region, who have come together with tourism businesses and hundreds of volunteers from around Zealand to organise 10 hectic days with visits to four harbours, to celebrate the region’s many stories and events from the Danish Viking and Middle Ages – the time that Denmark was created!
Through a series of different events, TOGTET will bring back to life the busy market places of the Vikings, medieval harbours, Danish pilgrims and knights. But TOGTET will also present new angles on the old stories and make them relevant to our world today. Musicians, artists and writers will put provide their interpretations of our present-day associations with the Viking and Middle Ages, and give their opinion on how the past can be used by people today. Experience stalls, Viking and Medieval food and taste what is officially Denmark’s best mead! Take part in workshops and activities, listen to lectures and learn more at the ‘knowledge corner’
Course set for Copenhagen and the National Museum’s Viking market
On Sunday the 21st July, the water-borne festival will leave Roskilde to sail onwards towards new harbours and new perspectives on our common history. Sea Stallion will sail all the way to Korsør, the last port of call in TOGTET, which the ships will reach on the 31st July. From here, the world’s largest Viking ship reconstruction and its crew of 60 volunteers will set course for Copenhagen and are due to arrive there on the 10th August. The world-famous ship will be welcomed by Copenhagen’s Lord Mayor, Frank Jensen, at Nordre Toldbod, where you can visit the ship every day up to and including the 15th August, after which it moves into the Frederiksholm Canal.
This will be the first time Sea Stallion has ever visited Denmark’s capital. The ship is coming to Copenhagen to take part in the National Museum’s large Viking market, taking place in the streets around the Frederiksholm Canal from the 17th – 18th August.
The crew will have various activities and masses of stories about Viking ships with them when they arrive. ‘We’re packing part of the Viking Ship Museum on board the ship, and will take these experiences with us when it sails on the summer voyage’, tells Rikke Johansen, Communications Co-ordinator at the Viking Ship Museum. Everywhere Sea Stallion docks, the public will be invited to the ‘open ship’, where they can get close to life on board and experience the ship that undertook the dramatic sailing from Roskilde to Dublin in Ireland and back again in 2007 – 08. The ship will also bring a mobile exhibition, exciting lectures and a series of ‘try it yourself’ Viking activities for children.
Follow the voyage on the website
From the moment Sea Stallion casts off the last mooring lines in the Museum harbour on the 21st July and until the ship docks at Toldboden in Copenhagen on the 10th August, you can follow the voyage online at the Viking Ship Museum’s website.
The ship is equipped with communications equipment that makes it possible to follow the ship’s journey through data about its course, speed and position. The data is sent from the ship to the website via satellite ca. every 15 minutes. Museum curator and crewmember on Sea Stallion, Louise Henriksen, will be writing a travel log about life on board during the sailing.
So join us – maybe we’ll come to a harbour near you!
Meet the Sea Stallion! 21st July 18th August 2013.
Everywhere Sea Stallion docks, the public will be invited to the ‘open ship’, where they can get close to life on board and experience the ship that undertook the dramatic sailing from Roskilde to Dublin in Ireland and back again in 2007 – 08.
Read more about the longship 'Sea Stallion from Glendaglough'
'Sea Stallion from Glendalough' was built at the Viking Ship Museum’s boatyard from 2000 – 2004 and with a length of 30 meters is the world’s largest Viking ship reconstruction. The longship became world-famous when it sailed to Dublin in 2007 and home again to Roskilde the following year.