David O. Segermark
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.