Get Your Viking On!
The worlds largest Viking ship sailing in modern times has landed in Rockland Harbor! The replica Viking ship, Draken Harald Hårfagre is currently in the middle of its East Coast Tour 2018. The Draken is a clinker-built Viking longship, which is a reconstruction of what the Norse Sagas refer to as a "Great Ship."
In April of 2016, Draken left her home port Haugesund in Norway to begin an expedition to sail to America. The aim of the expedition was to explore and relive one of the most mythological sea voyages - the first transatlantic crossing and the Viking discovery of the New World, more than 1,000 years ago.
The vessel quietly eased into Rockland Harbor Sunday night in a thick fog, which did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowds that filled docks, floats and Harbor Park in Rockland all wanting a closer look at the ship.
Plan accordingly if you would like to take a look into the past as the ship will be docked at the public landing through Wednesday and tours will be given from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Beginning daily at 10am, Draken will be open for timed and ticketed deck tours. There is also an on-site Draken Village. During each 30-minute tour, guests are guided through the ship and offered a look at a day-in-the-life of the crew and the historic craftsmanship used to build the ship with oak, tar, hemp, iron, and silk.
Within the Draken Village, which is free and open to the public, guests can experience a photo and video exhibition illustrating Viking history, modern explorers, and the adventures of the Draken; land-side views of the ship; official Draken merchandise, and more.
"The Vikings were accomplished navigators, artisans, traders and storytellers, but their greatest triumph was the ships they built." said Captain Björn Ahlander. "Each Draken stopover offers guests a tangible tie to history. We hope our visitors are inspired by the vigor of the Viking spirit and our modern-day adventures."
The 2018 Draken Harald Hårfagre North American tour will consist of stopovers across the U.S. East Coast states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, and more. The final tour schedule and all stopover ports are set to be announced in the coming weeks.
So what do you say...this may just be that rare moment where it is OK to be a Viking fan in New England!
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