SEILmagasinet · video

What this video covers

The world's largest active Viking ship, draken Harald Hårfagre, conducts a trial sail out of Sukkebyten in Oslo with guests aboard.Watch The vessel is 35 meters long, displaces 80–90 tonnes with ballast, and carries a 360-square-meter silk sail on a 25-meter mast.1:00 Built on Vibrandsø outside Haugesund between 2010 and 2012, she has reached 14 knots under sail.0:51 Rowing requires 100 crew — 50 oars, two per oar.2:34 Because she is registered as a cargo ship, all officers must hold formal certificates; the captain, Björn A. Lander, a Swedish retired mariner, has skippered her since 2013.3:50 The mast broke and went overboard crossing the North Sea in 2014.1:41 In 2016 the ship crossed the North Atlantic via Scotland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland, retracing Leif Eriksson's route to his settlement site.4:42 The ship also spent years sailing the Great Lakes and wintered in the Mediterranean for a film project called Odyssey, during which the hull was modified to resemble an ancient Greek vessel.5:34 The crew of 32 are volunteers drawn from around the world; the captain notes a shortage of Norwegian volunteers specifically.6:18

More from SEILmagasinet

New standing rigging on a 2000 X-362Sep 2026Two men out – Who’s going out Ep. 3Sep 2026Is the boat equipment of the future portable? We are elevating comfort with modular boat equipmentSep 2026Dufour 39 with more space for your moneySep 2026

From SEILmagasinet — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.