THE REPLICA Viking longship Sea Stallion is likely to leave Dublin Port for Denmark tomorrow in spite of an unfavourable weather forecast for early next week.
“We might end up sheltering in Howth or Dún Laoghaire, but either way we will hope to sail out of the Liffey on Sunday,” the longship’s Danish skipper, Carsten Hvid, told The Irish Times yesterday.
Another depression is set to move in over Ireland from the Atlantic next week, following a week of gales, squalls and heavy rain. However, Mr Hvid and many of his 65 voluntary crew members already experienced testing conditions in the vessel during last year’s six-week journey from Roskilde to Dublin via Scotland.
The return journey is planned via the southern English coastline, and the vessel is due to berth in Portsmouth in a fortnight’s time for the weekend of July 11th to 13th. “After that, well, we have to be in Roskilde for 2pm on August 9th,” Mr Hvid joked.
The crew – some volunteering for the first time – are “fit and well”, and the mast was set in Dublin Port yesterday. The vessel is due to be packed with food, lifejackets and survival suits today and will be accompanied on the 1,400 nautical-mile journey by a supply ship.
The replica is based on a ship discovered in Roskilde fjord and displayed at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. It is believed to have been built in Dublin in 1042.
It will depart from Custom House Quay at 11.30am tomorrow, with Dublin docklands celebrations beginning at 9.30am.