On Saturday 9th September it was for once not the sailors but their relatives who were in the centre of attention. The Viking Ship Museum opened its doors for the crew's families and friends offering a sailing trip with Sea Stallion, a guided tour at the museum and a presentation at the boatyard.
In classic Sea Stallion-weather - sunshine and fresh wind - the ship sailed out twice onto the fjord with a crew of young and old. Frail children's hands were persistently rowing with the heavy oars and the eyes of experienced sailors were curiously examining the sail, rig and timber constructions.
The first tack was just completed when Sara (9) pricked up her ears when she heard the commands going back and forth in the ship.
'Hmm..... what is a bowline actually?'
What followed was a lengthy sailor's explanation about sailing close-hauled, a sail's luff boltrope and the wind which can make the sail clap together in the centre. Sara's eyes focused at somewhere between far away and infinity. Definitely not an answer that would help her a lot. But she could handle an oar and pulled it stronger than most adult guests on board.
Thanks to the relatives
Many questions arose in the museum hall where Tinna Damgård-Sørensen, the director of the Viking Ship Museum, told the story of the original ship - from cradle to grave, i.e. from strong oak trees in the forests around Dublin to the mud at the bottom of Roskilde Fjord.
The director could also point out that the reconstruction of Sea Stallion among others led to the fact that researchers now question the number of Danish inhabitants in the Viking Period which was until now believed to have been one million.
Today we know how many man-hours it takes to build Viking ships. And this was food for thought for historians, archaeologists and other people. How was it possible to build and to man the great attacking fleets of the Viking Age and at the same time fulfill all others tasks in the then society?
The crew and their relatives are primarily concerned with next year's journey to Dublin. And that was the topic where Tinna Damgård-Sørensen closed the day with a warm thank you to the sailors' relatives who by their support make the journey possible for the sailors as well as for the museum.