Visitors to the western shore of Greenland this July may think they're dreaming when they see a Viking ship sail by. But if all goes well, a wooden ship with a puffy square sail will glide past, hugging Greenland's coastline in the icy North Atlantic.
What they'll really be watching is a dream come true. Aboard the ship will be writer, explorer and big dreamer W. Hodding Carter. When he was 10, he loved to read about the Viking Age, A.D. 800 to 1050. That's when Vikings sailed from the Norse countries of Norway, Denmark and Sweden for distant lands. "As a kid, I was always reading history books and imagining I was a Viking," says Carter, 35. He reread The Vikings by Elizabeth Janeway five years ago. "Then I let my childhood imagination take charge," he says.
Carter asked Maine boatbuilder Robert Stevens to build a knarr (pronounced nar), a Viking merchant ship powered by oars and a square sail. Stevens used plans from a museum in Denmark. This July, 10 sailors will try to re-create the journey of Viking explorer Leif Eriksson. The Lands' End Company is sponsoring the trip.
Eriksson came to North America, which he called Vinland, 1,000 years ago, about 500 years before Columbus. He left from Brattahlid (Brah-tah-lid) in Greenland, home of his father, the explorer Erik the Red. He went at least as far as L'Anse aux Meadows (Lahnz oh Med-oze), Newfoundland, site of the only known Viking settlement in North America.
Try, Try Again
This will be the second attempt at the Viking 1000 voyage. A journey last July came to a sad end when the rudder, which
steers the boat, broke. But unlike many ancient Vikings, the modern crew wasn't stranded at sea for good! The knarr was towed back to land by the Canadian coast guard.
The crew members will start this year's journey in Nuuk, where last year's sail ended. They have two new rudders, which they will test in June. Also, Carter will wear Viking clothing for at least a week of the chilly trip.
"Viking-clothing experts in England are making me about 20 pieces of clothing," he says, "from the leather shoes to the woolen underwear, leather overtunics and linen shirts that go somewhere in between." Like a giant canoe, a knarr is completely open. The sailors have no shelter from wind, rain or waves. Most of the time, they'll wear modern sailing gear.
The 1,500-mile journey will take at least eight weeks. When the wind gives out, crew members will row ashore to gather edible plants and berries. They'll fish for some of their food and bring provisions onboard. Unlike the real Vikings, they won't feast on wild seals and walruses.
The summer sun sets late near the Arctic Circle; the sailors will have between 14 and 20 hours a day of daylight. The average temperature will be about 50°F, and the water will be about 40°F. The sailors usually jump into the water to go to the bathroom. Brrrr! Although the crew shouldn't have a hard time steering clear of giant icebergs, even smaller chunks of ice could damage the wooden boat.
Carter and crew want to stay true to Viking technology, but they have modern backup systems to keep the trip safe. A radio, compasses, a lifeboat, wet suits and a complete medical kit will be onboard. So will a global positioning system, which will use space satellites to give a precise reading of the boat's location.
The Real Vikings Had It Rough
Vikings relied on Mother Nature and Lady Luck to guide their journeys. They didn't have good instruments for judging
direction or distance, so they tracked their progress by spotting landmarks. On the open seas they watched for birds as a sign that land was near. At night they steered by the North Star. Like most people of the time, Vikings believed the earth was flat. Still, they bravely sailed into the unknown.
Many Vikings earned their reputation as violent thieves and invaders. But some were peaceful farmers and traders who simply left Scandinavia to find a better life.
What will the Viking 1000 team find on its journey? Starting May 15, you can read about the preparations and the trip at www.beyond.landsend.com on the Internet. The sailors are excited about the voyage, but they don't really feel like fearless Vikings. "I'm afraid of everything," Carter says, laughing. "It all scares me or challenges me, both at the same time. That's what makes me go out and do it."