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| The Game | ||
Ask a Viking
What the heck's a "withe"? Who's the best cook in the crew? What's the
difference between an "anchor tent" and an "underway tent"? Our
brave Vikings aren't afraid to answer your toughest questions about any aspect of
the voyage. Just e-mail them at
Vikings respond
September 8, 1998
Larry asks: Hey guys! I've been following your progress and really enjoying
it. Has "Snorrie" been as seaworthy as you expected? Does she ride well
in rough weather. Does she rise nicely in a following sea, and how does she handle
large oncoming rollers? How close to the wind does she point?
John Abbott responds: As a cargo ship by design, Snorri is wide at the beam
(16 ft.), is extremely seaworthy, and has performed great and beyond our expectations.
While she doesn't sail well close on the wind (65 to 70 degrees only, considering
leeway) this is an expected compromise for a Viking cargo vessel (in fact any cargo
vessel). She only has a 3-inch keel, shallow rise, and was built to beach out to
unload cargo. Her 6th plank out from the keel, the "meginhufer," is more
plumb than the 5th and 7th planks and may act as a secondary keel. She does make
higher in calmer water.
With following winds and sea she is an absolute beauty...this is where her strength
lies. We've sailed downwind at 10 knots, speeds most modern boats would be happy
to make. Boats with big square sails do best downwind. Because of her beam she rises
high on the rollers and steadily drops. At 24 tons she's a bit hard to get surfing,
though we've experienced this on a few occasions. (Written in consultation with builder
Rob Stevens...)
A question for Rob: I know last year the rudder was causing all sorts of
trouble, and this year I notice you are much further along the trip. Beyond survivability,
has the new rudder design proven incredibly better for handling? Do you feel that
the success you've had this year is mostly due to the rudder, or are other aspects
weighing in as well?
Rob responds: The new rudder design is really just a Viking rudder fine-tuned
and it works very nicely. Also we reframed the area by the rudder, also in a Viking-like
manner, and these two things have eliminated our problems. Actually, last year's
rudder, which was not a Viking design, may have handled a little better but was too
large for the boat and put too much strain on the hull.
A visitor asks: What has been your biggest adventure so far on your journey?
John Abbott responds: Probably different for different people. Highlights
have included cruising the coastal mountains and high glaciers near Manitsoq, Greenland,
seeing polar bear numerous times in Baffin Island, and landing on the lush Iron Strand
here in Labrador. We also loved our visits to Sisimuit and hiking above the fjords.
In terms of confronting the unknown, working out our rudder difficulties and successfully
crossing the Davis and Hudson Straits were big adventures. The whole trip has held
new adventures daily.
A student at Bowdon Elementary School asks: Did a polar bear really eat
a scientist?
John Abbott responds: A ship's captain in Nain had told our friend and video
producer, David Conover, that a researcher disappeared from her party on the coast.
A while later, though unable to find her body, they apparently discovered a polar
bear bloodied from a kill. We have no other information as to who she was, represented
or when this occured. There are a number of polar-bear-eating-humans stories that
fly in these parts...(no pun intended).
August 28, 1998
Sid wants to know... "In the background of the picture of Iron Strand
it appears there are caves or mining activity. What was at the base of the mountain
shown in the picture?"
Hodding Carter shares his observations, No, there did not appear to be any
mining activities in the area. I've heard that the whole Tongat region might be turned
into a national park. That is just hearsay, though. This coastline is probably the
most dramatic landscape I've seen. I think it equals the Grand Canyon in beauty and
stature.
Gary, of Topsail, Newfoundland asks for news, "Hi Guys, You've got
guts. I worked in the oil industry in the late seventies and eighties and have spent
several summers and falls in the Davis Strait. I would like to know: is the air still
fresh there and is there still an abundance of ducks, whales and other wild life
in the area. Be safe and good luck."
Hodding shares some good news, The air and streams (along the coast, of course)
are still as fresh as you can imagine. We've never seen smog and feel we are drinking
the best water we've ever had. I can't even list the number of times we've seen whales
and seals, as well as some type of auk.
David inquires, "Would the original Vikings have taken this long to
reach L'Anse aux Meadows? (having the same sailing problems as you have, sailing
within sight of land as much as possible, sounds like so much time and so little
progress some days when I read your journal entries). I read that you can 'see' over
the horizon somehow and that the Vikings could "see" ahead of them, hence
knowing that they were going 'somewhere' rather than falling off the edge of the
world. Have you experienced this? and is it true? Good luck."
Hodding responds, From what I've read, I would say the real Vikings would
have had the same results as we. It would have depended on the wind's direction.
As much as we try, we really don't make any headway when we have to sail into the
wind. Just yesterday, we covered 19 miles tacking to go 6 miles south. Ouch, that
hurts even to write about it. As a result of ice blink or Arctic mirage, we do often
see things far beyond what we would normally be able to make out. Sometimes, icebergs
float hundreds of feet in the air even. It's a weird phenomenon. I don't know how
much this effect allows us to see (sometimes it's not any farther; it just makes
things weirder) "beyond" the horizon.
Abby poses a series of questions, "Have you been fishing much? Successfully?
Have you seen any other boats or signs of human life since you arrived on the N.
American coast? Have all of you been keeping journals? Congratulations and Godspeed!"
Hodding replies, You've hit us where it hurts. We are the lamest fishermen
in the world. We troll and jig a lot. Over the past two years, we have caught about
four cod. That's it. We had a casting reel for fishing in freshwater streams and
lakes but we lost it overboard last week. SO at least we have an excuse for not catching
trout now.
We passed one or two boats but didn't see the people on board. They weren't close
enough. We haven't seen any other humans since August 3rd or so.
About half the crew keep journals. Besides keeping track of what we are doing and
seeing, I think it also helps keep our sanity. You can vent and write things in your
personal journal that just wouldn't be practical to let out on board--at least not
at the time.
Megan Morton former (at least for now) commercial fisherman/ Kenyon '86 shares
a tale of her own... then poses a question, "I recently received a clipping
my dad sent me about your voyage. My family consisting of a husband, two young boys,
3 wild boars (soon to be more), 20 or so chickens, and now a cow, live in a small
remote Yupik community on the Kuskokwim river in western Alaska. We are 350 miles
from the nearest road system and move all our 'stuff' by plane and boat.
"My husband has been trying to convince me that the Vikings traveled with
small cows on their open ships. Have you heard this ...I mean is this for real? I
figure this was probably the ploy he was using to get me to bring a cow to Kalskag
AK from Aniak AK, 40 river miles, in a 19' skiff. 'If our ancestors did it so can
we!,' he told me. We managed to make it home to Kalskag and like our forefathers
(according to my husband), we did not put her in a crate. It was an adventure...however
I would recommend all future Vikings put large animals in a crate or at least add
some sides to their boats so that the animal does not move about so much (or in our
case put a whole hind quarter over the edge).
"Next time you travel in a viking vessel, I think you should try your voyage
with an Irish Dexter Cow. Dexters are very easy to travel with and when you travel
with a cow everyone wants to help you out. Crocus, our 2 year-old pregnant heifer
and I traveled 300 miles by road, spent the night in a backyard in downtown Anchorage,
flew 1.5 hours in a DC6 to Aniak (where she and I got caught in weather for 3 days...
thanks to some friendly gold miners we had a nice place to stay and a hot shower),
finally met up with my man, George, and then we all came home via the 19' open skiff.
"I hope that your journey is going well. I miss being out on the water but
not the awesome weather that the Sea can kick up in the months ahead... remember
there is a hot shower in your future...it might be fifty days or more away... but
that hot shower does exist!!!"
Hodding responds, Megan, I'm sorry but I think you're as crazy as we are.
A heifer in a 19-ft. skiff. Seriously? Did Crocus appreciate her adventure?
While I agree George was using the Viking thing as a ploy to get Crocus home, I hate
to tell you he was right. The Vikings traveled with sheep, goats and cows in boats
just like ours. I used to daydream about doing the same in Snorri but I now can't
imagine how they pulled it off. What about all the poop? Maybe they weren't as concerned
about keeping their bilge as clean as we are. Actually, though, I've been reading
about how concerned with cleanliness they were. One of the things that made them
odd in Great Britain (besides being a little rough) was that they took baths once
a week. I guess such cleanliness was unheard of. Regrettably, most of the crew and
I are not quite managing to wash ourselves as often as once a week.
Thanks for your letter.
August 24, 1998
Keith, a curious Canadian checks in re: "Life in the slow lane,""
No question just a comment. Cool site, cooler concept. (I bet you can appreciate
the concept of cool.) OK, one question: How will you be able to understand the native
inhabitants of Newfoundland when you arrive here. Speaking as a Canadian, I know
I can't. LOL."
Doug responds, We will use Runic Sign Language (RSL)
Joel inquires: "As a group, what do you expect your next adventure
to be?"
Doug replies, Lunch.
A. Jeffers, poses a question on several people's minds, "Since you
have reached Baffin, you will most likely make it to Newfoundland. What are you planning
to do when you reach L'Anse aux Meadows? Backtracking a little, will you sail by
that long stretch of beach mentioned in the Norse Sagas?? Good luck!"
Doug responds, Yes, we should pass by the Wonder Strand [the beach mentioned
in the Norse Sagas], which is 30-odd miles of unbroken sand beach. Weather
permitting, we will stop and check it out. When we reach L'Anse aux Meadows, we will
spend a night in one of the longhouses and drink the mead that Hodding made, and
have a big Viking dinner in another Viking building. Then we will take showers, put
on normal clothes, and spend a few days breaking down all the gear.
A San Francisco Finn inquires, "My question is, to what degree does
the far north and your unusual adventure influence how you write, feel and think?"
Doug wryly replies, Approximately 39 degrees Farenheit so far, less if you're
in the water. What a question. I guess Hodding took a stab at it last night.
Keir poses a query... and adds a wish, "What is the extent of water
pollution on your route? Hope you have a great trip."
Doug answers - while adding a new word to the language, Haven't seen much
at all, except inside the harbors of towns in Greenland, where it gets a little scudgy.
The air and the water are very clean, still, at these latitudes.
Daryl's wonders, "Did you bring any female berserkers with you?"
Doug responds, No, there aren't any women on the voyage.
Larry, a grandfather and spokesperson for two inquisitive generations introduces
a series of questions with, "Hello Salty's, We as a family have been
enjoying following your 'saga.' Got some questions for you as our grandkids are home
schooled and we are using this as a way to teach history and geography to them."
And poses the first question (his own): "How has the ship held up
from a physical standpoint and is she as seaworthy as you expected?"
Doug responds, She is doing magnificently. Nothing has broken. There is one
cross beam in the bow which has loosened a little due to constant upward pressure
from the forward tack of the sail, which is attached there when we are on a reach.
But we have simply tied it down to a frame underneath it and that has solved the
problem.
Another query from Larry, "Do you get seasick - or did you get seasick
when you first went to sea??"
Doug responds with particulars, Some people, three of the nine of us, have
gotten seasick in big seas, but there is medicine you can take in the form of a patch
that you wear on your neck, and that has helped everyone, though Rob still has a
hard time on the really rough days.
Larry continues, "From my wife: Where is the bathroom? (Ignore her)"
Doug briefly replies, The world is our lavatory.
As his closer, Larry poses a group question, "From all of us (Larry,
Myra, James, Glenn, Joshua, Brandon): Are you having fun?"
Doug replies, Speaking for all of us: this is a wonderful trip and we are
having the time of our lives.
August 12, 1998
Karl inquires, "I have seen the ice pack map for the NW Atlantic this
July and saw that it has moved much further south than in previous years. What accounts
for this phenomenon? Good sailing and Godspeed."
Hodding replies, "The pack ice certainly broke up earlier than usual
this year, which may explain why you're seeing more of it further south. The reports
I've seen, however, haven't shown the ice much farther south than, say, last year.
Maybe we're looking in different areas of the NW Atlantic. As far as the early breakup
goes, there is a world of competing theories to explain it. A book called The
Riddle of the Ice (published within last two years) tries to explain it, but
I think that it is still all a riddle."
Scott asks,"With reference to winds and seas, how much can the Snorri
take? At what wave height do they come over the side/bow? How do you keep in rhythm
when you row? Thanks and good luck. I'll be following your progress."
Hodding retorts, "We don't know what she can really take. In the crossing,
we were double-reefed in 20-30 knot winds and confronted with 8-10 (sometimes higher)
foot swells. We certainly took water over the bow quite frequently then, but it wasn't
much of a problem. As usual, our biggest concern was the rudder lanyard; it was continually
stretched and wrenched out of place. As for rowing, sometimes we sing, but a couple
of us are so tone deaf that this only throws us even more of pace. We usually watch
the forwardmost guy on the port side and follow his pace."
An old salt from Casco Bay, Maine, queries,"I am a 77-year-old
sailor who has cruised thousands of miles and read many sea stories. I'm fascinated
by your voyage. Keep up the wonderful log reports ! I've never heard or read a more
graphic and moving account of the green flash!! My questions are: What GPS system
do you find works for best ? What is your best 24-hour run ? Must you "hand
steer" always? Is the new rudder system working okay? We're in the middle of
a Bermuda High here in Casco Bay - here's wishing you the same."
Hodding answers, "We have a handheld Garmin that appears to be working
fine. But, since we're Vikings, we never use it. Okay, sometimes we might pull it
out. I believe our best 24-hour run has been 110 miles or so. Our top speed for an
entire hour is 10 knots. Yes, we always have to hand steer, but since the rudder
is balanced better this year, it is usually not much of a struggle. The new rudder
system seems fine, but we always have to adjust it - which usually means whacking
wedges in to take out the slop."
Julie wonders,"What are you eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
Is the food good? Are you going fishing? I am 8 years old and writing from Maine."
Hodding responds, "We drink mead when we wake up, then chew on a leftover
leg of musk ox. Sometimes we fry up a little whale intestines. Okay, our diet is
not that unusual. We eat granola, oatmeal, grits or bulgur wheat for breakfast -
with a variety of dried fruits and nuts. For lunch, we have salami, cheese, peanut
butter , honey and Nutella (a chocolate spread made with hazelnuts). We put this
on WASA crackers. And for dinner, we eat Viking things like Thai curried chicken
or clams linguine. Luckily, this is a cargo ship and we were able to pack a lot of
interesting foods. When you're working outside 12 to 24 hours a day, it's nice to
have good and varied food. Occasionally, we eat things like mountain sorrel, wild
mushrooms or even whale. This last dish happened because we came upon some hunters
who left what turned out to be a pot full of whale meat. People in this part of the
world eat whale and it has taken me three years to get used to the notion. I still
feel a little odd about it."
July 29, 1998
Alexander asks, "Since fog and other problems seem to be working against
our intrepid "Vikings," maybe someone could advise me of evidence that
there were women on at least some of these voyages. We visited L'Anse aux Meadows,
Newfoundland, four weeks ago and the re-enactments in the huts included women. I
thought the Vikings left their women-folk home in the fjords while they traveled
the earth?"
Author: John Gardner, " There is plenty of evidence that women were
on many Viking voyages, when they were traveling to settle, trade or maybe even fight
(although little about this). Our boat is named after Snorri, the first Viking child
born in North America. I can't remember his mother's name but she was obviously in
Vinland. Also, the Greenlander's Saga has an interesting account of Freydis killing
a number of people in Vinland. We don't have women on board with us simply because
we couldn't find any who were willing to go with us or who could get away from their
real lives."
Steve inquires, "I am curious as to how far north you are seeing different
birds. That is, are there some that range farther north and/or cover a larger area
than others?"
Captain Terry answers, "We haven't gone far enough to get out of range
of any birds. We're seeing the same birds here as we saw in south central Greenland.
We are seeing far fewer Lapland Longspurs than in the south. All the coastal seabirds
are just as common here as they were in the south."
Gary wonders, "How wet do you get on an open boat without shelter?
Also, longships had low gunwales and were supposed to take on a lot of water, so
somebody was usually bailing (or so I've heard). Is it like that on the Snorri?"
Hodding replies, "If the seas are rough and we are sailing windward,
we get very wet. So we try to sail off the wind as much as possible. We still have
to do a lot of bailing, but, unlike the Vikings, we use manual pumps. Otherwise,
one or two crew members would probably be on bailing duty most of the day."
The second/third grade special education class at Three Oaks Elementary School
in Ft. Myers, Florida is studying the Vikings. Their teacher writes, "How
fantastic to find your story in 'Time for Kids' magazine! We plan to keep very close
watch on your voyage this summer. My students can't even imagine how cold the water
must be up there, even in the summer! The kids have a question for you - were the
Vikings really as mean as they're portrayed, or was it just the literary grumblings
of pillaged monks that led us to believe so? The kids would really like them to be
"good guys," but are also fascinated by their roughness and bravery. Godspeed
to you this summer!"
Hodding answers, "They were a pretty rough bunch, but no more so than
anyone else living at that time - except maybe the monks they sometimes tormented.
The Vikings were better sailors than most and certainly had faster boats. Everyone
fought barbarously during the Viking era. The Vikings did not write beyond etching
on stones, so we only have the writings of their enemies to judge them by."
Here are some questions previously answered by Rob Stevens in his July 24 journal.
Just for fun, we reprint his answers along with the original questions.
George queries, "How much water does Snorri draw when fully loaded?
I have been researching possible side exploration routes that the various Vinland
explorers may have taken (assuming they were always based at Leif's camps, i.e.,
L'Anse aux Meadows) and I have not been able to find solid reference to possible
ships' draft given typical Viking cargo loads. If you were taking Snorri on side
trips after establishing a base camp at LAM, how much cargo would you load for one
month's exploring, and what depth of water would be required for safe passage of
the ship with such a load?"
Rob responds, "Snorri draws about three feet, in our case mostly due
to ballast rocks. Vikings in Vinland would probably use a ship's boat to explore
with, or if they had none, three feet is not too much to draw."
Jane wonders, "Is Hodding still wearing his 'Viking' clothes? Why?"
Rob answers, "Hodding is still wearing his Viking clothing, and plans
to for the rest of the trip. Except for his feet, on which he has sneakers. He went
looking for traditional Inuit boots in Sisimiut but couldn't find his size, and also,
on a boat he would need three pair. Plus one of us would have to chew them to keep
them soft. I'd rather break my teeth on skibskiks (hardtack). I think that if John
Abbott had to go too long without food - read two hours - he'd be willing."
Cecelia asks, "What are some of the things that you feel you are missing
the most from home?"
Rob replies, "Eric said he missed Danes, and going to weddings. (Don't
know why he said that.) Dean said, without a second's hesitation, 'Orange juice.'
I asked him what about Barclay, his wife? Then he said, 'Oh, yeah, my sister-in-law's
wedding?' And I said, 'What about Barclay?' And then he said, 'My cat.' At which
point I gave up.
"John Abbott, when we finally convinced him he was number three in the rotation
(it had, after all, been three minutes since he had last eaten, so he was a bit dazed
by the hunger) collected himself to say that he missed Vermont summers, when everyone
comes out of hibernation.
"Homer said he missed trees. Doug said he missed drums and driving around listening
to loud music. (I bet some people in Summerville don't miss him.)
"Hodding said he missed his wife and the girls and that he wasn't just saying
that because I was going to print it. (I guess the hug and kiss I give him every
day isn't enough.)
"John Gardner said he missed his cat. I didn't even know he had one. Terry said
he missed his sweetie, and sweating. (A number of minutes passed between 'sweetie'
and 'sweating.')"
"I miss ice. I miss having cold drinks and cold cereal."
E.J. entreats, "I would be interested to know what a day underway
is like. What are the duties? Do you rotate duties? Do you all sleep at the same
time? Have your sleep patterns been altered in all that sunlight? What are the temperatures
like? How often do you row and how often do you sail? Is there much time for water
skiing?"
Rob retorts, "When we are underway and covering some distance, we are
on two watches, Port and starboard. (Port is always capitalized and starboard is
always a small 's.') When your watch is on, someone is at the helm, another is bow
watch, and a third, navigator. Plus one extra. We change duties every hour, and watches
are either four or six hours. The watch handles sail changes, which aren't often
when we are out in the ocean. Off-watch is often sleeping.
"Terry never sleeps, because he doesn't trust us. And I'm usually throwing up.
The constant daylight has changed our sleep and eating habits (except, of course,
John Abbott's) and we do things later than we normally would."
John inquires, "I've rowed a little in my time. Do you guys wear gloves
or do you have some kind of non-friction device (something invented by the Vikings,
no doubt - like pig grease)?"
Rob replies, "We row to get in and out of anchorages often, and, no,
we don't wear gloves for rowing."
Bob asks, "How are the English language skills of the people you've
met in Greenland? Do most adults under 50 speak it OK?"
Rob answers, "Greenlanders speak Greenlandic and Danish, and most people
under 50 speak English."
July 16, 1998
Linda writes, "I teach junior high students and will be doing a unit
on explorers in September. Do any of you recall anything special about that particular
age that might have contributed to being part of this fantastic adventure?"
Hodding answers, "I guess I think of junior high school as a very confusing
time. I did a lot of daydreaming back then and when it wasn't about girls it was
usually about taking off on some crazy adventure. I lived along the Mississippi River
and there was this guy who swam by our town in a wet suit headed for New Orleans.
For some reason, that goofy adventure made me realize that you could just up and
live out such fantasies. I kept seeing him pop up out of a whirlpool, laughing and
spitting water out of his mouth. I think I started planning different adventures
from that point on.
"Terry says that at that time his family got a place in the North Carolina woods
and he feels like he truly discovered stomping around in the woods, looking at everything
and fishing for the first time. Doug says his parents got divorced at that time and
he began to realize that personal growth was created by personal challenges. This
required an inner confidence that eventually led him to be on a trip like this one.
Rob read about Boy Scouts in Denmark who were building a Viking ship and he had wanted
to build one ever since. Homer got his first sailboat from his mother and hasn't
stopped sailing since. John Abbott says disco was around about that time and the
woods were the only place he could find to escape it."
Susie asks, "What names have you given each rudder and how did you
arrive at that name?"
Hodding replies, "Right now, our names are a little dull. The smallest
one is sometimes called the small rudder and sometimes the Vorsa rudder because it
is based on a Viking rudder found in Vorsa in the '60s, I believe. Our second rudder,
which was built last year when the Vorsa rudder wasn't working, has various names.
Rob calls it the Cleopatra because someone told him she had a rudder like it on her
barge. I don't think that is entirely accurate but this rudder is more like a Mediterranean
rudder than a Viking one. I call it Big Bertha. The third and fourth rudders have
even more uninspired names: one is called Rob's rudder because he built it, and the
other is called John's rudder because he built it. At this time, John's rudder is
working best.
"Of course, when we are very upset, each rudder's name is preceded by a number
of curses, which I won't go into right now."
Vikings ask you
In their journals, the crew plans to feature a "question of the day,"
and welcomes your responses. Here are some of their questions so far:
- What's the better way to row a Viking ship - short strokes or long ones?
- What's the source of the "prussik" [also prusik - a sliding knot]?
- What's the best system for warm, dry hands in an open boat on the North Atlantic?
Any ideas? Send them to the e-mail address above.