Written by A crew of 25 plans to row and sail a Viking longboat from Denmark to Pensacola, Florida during the summer of 2027. While the effort might seem insane, seventeen of the crew are US veterans using the voyage to improve mental health.
The plan for the crew of Sea King, us to follow much of the sea route taken by Erik the Red, hundreds of years prior to Christopher Columbus. Once they land in Pensacola, they hope to build Vinland Firth, a working replica of a historic Viking village. The ship built with historic Viking methods and design was Viking ship museum in Denmark. I suppose the folk in Denmark had to import folk crazy enough to attempt the ocean crossing.
“We’re going to have nine rowing stations on each side of the ship,” said retired U.S. Navy sailor Douglas Cline
Although safety vessels will follow the Sea King, the crossing will be as brutal as it was during the Viking Age. Imagine crossing the Atlantic in an open ship with no heat source and water temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
I too am a US military veteran. After loosing both legs, I too looked into a similar darkness. My solution was the Sexy Viking motto:
Never give up.
Never surrender.
Retreat only to flank
With that motto, I think the Sea King will make it with all of it’s crew. I would be thrilled to team up with that crew to promote their effort and awareness of the challenges we must all overcome.