Carsten is the skipper of the ship. He had the challenging task of hand-picking the crew of 65 and has the even more challenging task of getting them safely across 1,000 miles of treacherous water. When he's not sailing he makes ropes for Roskilde Museum so he knows a fair amount about Viking rigging! He has a great sense of humour... which will come in handy during the journey.
Solvej is a local school teacher but her role on board ship will be very different. As steward, she's responsible for keeping the crew well fed. Catering for so many hungry mouths in such a tight space is going to be a huge task. In rolling waves and bad weather it could even be a dangerous one. But Solvej is undaunted, and is determined that the crew will get a varied diet including lots of fresh fruit and vegetables ... she's just not quite sure how.
Dylan is known as the practical joker on board, but he's taking the voyage itself very seriously. Sailing is Dylan's passion and he has experience of sailing many types of vessel. With his knowledge of modern boats the unusual style of the Viking longship causes him some concern. He knows that sailing it across the North Sea is going to be risky - but he's up for the challenge.
Hans works in forestry so he has great admiration for this unique wooden ship constructed from ancient oak. He's also an adventure junkie - and this voyage was too big an adventure to miss. During the planning Hans has been one of the crew's representatives, making sure conditions are bearable. Not that he's under any illusions. He knows it's going to be a gruelling and uncomfortable journey - but that's all part of the adventure.
As Susanne watched 'The Sea Stallion' being constructed from her house overlooking the harbour, she realised she had to take part. As it turned out, her background as a trained nurse was exactly what they were looking for. At times the ship will be hundreds of miles from the nearest medical facilities, so it will be down to Susanne to deal with any eventuality until help can arrive. It's not just the crew's physical health she's worried about - she also feels responsible for their psychological health. She's going to have her work cut out.
David is the newest shipmate on board. When another crew member dropped out just a month before the voyage, David was offered a last-minute place. For David it's a dream come true - but it also means he has a lot to learn in a short time. As if that weren't enough, he'll have to cope with being on board a ship where the prevailing language is Danish. He's going to have to learn the ropes very quickly.
Louise works at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde and is an expert on the Viking age. She's just finished a thesis on public perceptions of the Norsemen throughout history so she knows just how great the public interest is. As one of the less experienced sailors on board she has some trepidation about being at sea, but that won't stop her playing a full part in sailing and rowing the ship.
As a retired geologist, Erik is used to adventurous expeditions, but this voyage will still present a real physical challenge. Erik is one of the older members of the crew and he admits that most people would consider this a young person's adventure. Despite that, he's confident he'll be able to face the rigors of the North Sea. Erik is also an amateur cabinet maker, and he's been putting these skills to work fitting the vessel with storage boxes for the supplies.
Triona has been sailing with the Viking ship for several years now and is used to making the journey from Ireland to Denmark for the training weekends. Now at last she'll get the chance to sail the ship back home. As a historian she's expecting to gain real insights into the achievements of the Vikings. Triona is going to be joining the ship when it reaches Scotland which means she'll get to sail that all important last leg to Dublin.
Published: 2007-06-27