Draken Harald Harfagre celebrated a few days at Toronto's Redpath Waterfront Festival and is now en route to Fairport Harbor, Ohio.
After a challenging journey which began in Norway on April 26, the largest Viking ship of modern times has reached North America. Draken Harald Hårfagre reached North America on June 1. Named for the king who unified Norway in the 10th century, the Harald Hårfagre dropped anchor at St. Antony in Newfoundland, Canada, on Wednesday, after more than a month at sea.
“It has not been easy. We have encountered many problems on the trip, but the crew has remained in good spirits and has worked hard all the way," Swedish captain Björn Ahlander reported. They battled winds, icebergs and rain as well as calm waters, sunshine and even the wedding of two of its crew at an historic church site in Greenland.
The Viking ship is equipped with modern navigational tools but it also has historical aids such as log lines and magnetic and solar compasses. A rescue boat accompanied the trip across the ocean, at the ready if anything went wrong for the 33 crew members.
Now with the toughest leg of the expedition behind them, Draken Harald Hårfagre is in St Antony, Newfoundland for a couple days, before heading southwest to Quebec and Toronto, then into the Great Lakes.
When Draken visits ports, the ship is often open for show to as many people as possible! The Toronto visit also included the opening of an exhibit on the quay side next to the ship, about the history behind the ship and the how the Draken project all started.
Follow the expedition at http://www.drakenexpeditionamerica.com and find out where you can see it.