Today saw glorious sunshine at last and a strong wind, unfortunately in the wrong direction. No use for getting across the North Sea, but a good day to take Sea Stallion out for a spin. Not only would this give everyone something to do, it’s a chance to test the ship out and get some useful data.
The skipper wants to know how fast Sea Stallion can sail heading into a strong wind, and today is the perfect day to find out. To make progress easier they start by taking down the mast. Even with the sail down, the mast and all the rigging have considerable wind resistance. This also gives them a chance to check the condition of the mast and grease the wheel at the top.
Rowing hard into the wind
Now its time to burn off all those biscuits they’ve been eating on land! The skipper sets a course directly into the wind and orders them to start rowing. With all oars in action they manage a respectable 2.5 mph. Next they raise the mast and try again. It’s now very difficult to steer a straight course into the wind - the gusts try to turn the boat one way and another. It’s also much slower – the ship manages only about 1.5 mph. Getting the mast up and down is a bit of an effort, but clearly there are occasions when it would have been worth it. Not only would it have enabled a Viking ship to attack a shoreline whatever the wind direction – it would also have made the boat harder to spot. Vikings relied heavily on the element of surprise – often they would attack a town, plunder it, and set sail again before any serious defence could be mounted.
Then it was time to get the sail up and put on some speed. In the strong wind the boat starts leaning over and everyone has to rush over to the other side to stabilise the boat. Even with the sail reduced in size (reefed) the ship whizzes through the water, spray shooting out from the bow. It’s exhilarating and just what the crew needs to shake away the lethargy of the last few days. It is also frustrating because we can sail in every direction except the way we want to go.
