'Sea Stallion' being lifted out of the River Liffey at the end of the voyage
After 7 weeks, over a thousand nautical miles, and what felt like several metres of rainfall, the Viking voyage is finally at an end. Most of the crew fly back home on Saturday but the symbolic conclusion of the trip was today when 'Sea Stallion' was lifted out of the water. Seeing the ship hoisted above our heads was a magnificent sight but also a sad one. The beautiful shape of the hull is much clearer out of water – and Glenn was particularly keen to see it in its entirety. But it was a shame to see it on land knowing it won't sail again until next year.
The big clean up begins with hoovering
Despite having arrived at their destination, the crew have had to work quite hard these past few days. The media attention here has been intense, the arrival made the front page of most newspapers, and many crew members have been doing numerous interviews for press, TV and radio. They've also been busy preparing the ship for today's lifting. This morning the ship had to be thoroughly stripped – all the ropes, boxes and floor boards were taken off. Then over 5 tonnes of ballast, in the form of rocks, had to be removed. Only then was it time to attach the 4 huge straps that lifted 'Sea Stallion' onto the quayside. As David put it, it was a strange feeling seeing what had been your home for so long being taken to pieces. Once on land, it was time to give the inside a final clean. Under all the ballast was a layer of all the crud that had accumulated over the trip which now formed a nasty black paste. Dylan was one of the lucky crew members who got the job to clean this out and he wasn't impressed with the smell.
Of course it hasn't all been work here and there have been a good few visits to some of Dublin's finest drinking establishments as well as some more formal engagements such as a reception hosted by the Mayor of Dublin.
'Sea Stallion' unloaded for the last time
Late tonight the ship will be driven on a huge lorry through streets of Dublin to the National Museum of Ireland where she will be on public display until next year. Then it will be time for most of the crew (and for us too) to go back home to our friends and families, to our own (dry) beds, to jobs or studies. It's going to be hard to adjust to the very different pace of city life. I know that I've had experiences on this trip that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I feel privileged to have been part of it and to have been able to spend time with this extraordinary group of people.
