Viking Navy sailors and their Boats


David O. Segermark

Newtown Square, Pa. 19073-3825 (Phila.suburb - sw)
Viking Ship Norseman
I am a Captain of the Viking Ship "Norseman", a 40' fiberglass replica of the Gokstad find. This hull was built in the Isle of Man by persons with Viking heritage, shipped to the U.S.A. and outfitted by an organization of which I am Vice President - Leif Ericson Viking Ship, Inc.

normas (at) fishgame . state . ak . us
Norma Jean Sands

I have a faering (generic name for Norwegian boat rowed with four oars by two people). This one is a Gokstad faering - Gokstad being the site where the long ship was unburied from a Viking burial ground. My boat is designed after the smallest boat (21 ft long, 4 ft wide at widest point) that was found in the long ship (I believe there were three small boats). The originals are all in the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo.

I am of Norwegian and Danish decent and member of Sons of Norway. Following undergraduate work in oceanography, I went to Norway. I lived and worked there for 9 years. I fell in love with Norwegian boats, already having a passion for rowing. I now live in Alaska and own a replicate of one of the small boats found within the Gokstad longship (on display at the Viking Museum in Oslo). My Gokstad ferring was built by Chris Cunningham of Seatle; he and his wife rowed and sailed it from Anacortes to Juneau in the summer of 1987. I love to row the boat and take it to the Little Norway festival in Petersburg each year to race and row around. I have not got the hang of sailing it yet, but would like to learn.

I am rowing and another SON member is along for the ride. The picture was taken in Petersburg.

80k gif image.