The Viking Navy has been contacted by a two man team of Independent documentary producers interested in making a half hour show on the Vikings. They sell they productions to TV companys like Discovery or National Geo. An example of the kind of work they produce is the production for Discovery "Of Wood and Water" a documentary, by Dave Clark, on boat building in Maine.

12:51 PM 10/15/96 Update.
We have a series for Discovery in post at the moment and should be clear on what we wish to do re: Vikings by December. Next time you are on the web go to www.mungopark.com/ This site is current state of the art New Media expedition/field reporting. Here you will see what can be done from a 7000 foot gorge in Ethiopia. Best, Liam O'Brien

Danie Nortje of Cape Town South Africa. 100076.3464 (at) compuserve.com Danien is currently talking with possible backer in Europe. Danie is inside Gibraltar at the moment looking around at Invisible Places.

Liam O' Brien of Simi Valley CA. USA, fax no 805 584 2110. Phone no 805 584 2612 74252.372 (at) compuserve.com Liam is currently touring the US looking for various shot sites and talking with possible sponsors. His last message said "Kansas City MO 28 degrees and snow flurries. Thanx for the Mail." So if you live someplace warm email him and tell him you want to sponsor his production. Best guess is that the total production will run $3,000,000.

From: Andrew Marshall
I'm the navigator for an upcoming voyage this summer, sailing a knarr from Greenland to Newfoundland. You can read all about it on our website (which the crew,it must be noted, had nothing to do with) at http://www.viking1000.com. Viking 1000 voyage summer 1997
I'm quite interested in the Marking the Center of Vinland journey. I would very much like to be involved.
marsh8ball (at) earthlink.net Andy Marshall



Show working title:

Marking the center of Vinland

.

The ship

Build a 70 foot Viking Ship out of white oak, the Oseberg is a good design to use, rig it in three different ways:
1. Traditional square sail.
2. Modern triangular sails as found on todays ships.
3. Viking Navy rigging and sails, 256 stunt kites, oarsails, etc.

Build the three small boats the size of the three ships' boats found with the Oseberg. Also rig these in the three ways mentioned.

The trip

Sail from Oslo to Newfoundland with the Oseberg carrying the three small boats or pulling them behind. At Newfoundland split up the crew in the following four trips:
1. Send the largest ships' boat north into Hudson bay then south along "the great red river of the north" to Minnesota.
2. Send the second largest ships' boat south into the Gulf of Mexico then north along "The Mississippi" to Minnesota.
3. Send the smallest ships' boat south to the Gulf of Mexico then west accross Panama then north to Oregon then east along the "Columbia" thru Yellowstone to Minnesota.
4. Take the Oseberg west along the St. Lawerence thru the great Lakes to Minnesota.

The Marking

All groups meet in the center of Vinland. Mark the spot with a modern runestone cut by our crew.

There are three points that may be thought of as the center of Vinland. With luck the trip will help us decide which point is the true center of Vinland.
1. Where the Mississippi crosses the 45th parallel. That is the twin cities. For this we must include part of modern day Canada on the east coast. This part of Canada may have been an Island in the time of the Vikings.
2. Out in the middle of nowhere. On the 45th parallel half way between the Atlantic and the Pacific. This spot looks like it may have been underwater at the time of the Vikings.
3. Fifty miles due north of this spot. Kennsington Minnesota, at the Runestone park. They have a runestone park with no runestone. Their Viking runestone, found in 1898, was taken to Alexandria Minnesota, right on I-94, and put in a museum.

The Map


1. Left mark is where the 45 degrees hits the Pacific ocean.
2. Right mark is the 45 degrees hits the Atlantic ocean.
3. Center bottom mark is the exact middle between the above two points at 45 degrees.
4. Center top mark is the location of Kensington Minn.


Signed: Peter Sjolander
Last change 1/20/96