A brand new Viking ship modeled on the Skuldelev 6 has been launched in the Salish Sea of Washington State. The Valkyrie, which was built by a team of dedicated volunteers, will soon be available for day trips and chartered voyages.
The Viking Herald speaks to ship captain Erik Knudsen to find out more.
A solemn promise
"The shipbuilding project started some 13 years ago," Erik informs The Viking Herald. "It began as an experiential education project to get the youth outdoors. Constructing ships brings people out into the world, and we have been able to involve lots of people over the years."
There is also another, more personal connection, however, behind the project. Erik's grandfather, Heinrich Knudsen, was born in Vejle, Denmark, and spent several years traveling the world with the Danish merchant navy.
When he contracted Parkinson's disease at the age of 55, however, Heinrich relocated with his wife Mavis and their family to Texas in the United States.
Twenty years later, when Heinrich's health began to deteriorate at a rapid rate, his son David—Erik's father—flew to visit him one last time.
"In that final meeting, my dad made a promise that one day he would build a Viking ship in my grandfather's honor," Erik explains.
"We talked about this promise a lot. My family ran a camp in Ontario, Canada, for 45 years, and when that project finally came to an end, my father decided the time had come."
Some of the timbers incorporated into the hull were originally felled in 1915 and left unused for over a century. Photo: Northwest Viking Ship
From dream to reality
Together with his wife Cynthia, David Knudsen came up with a compelling vision: to build a vessel capable of sailing the nearby Salish Sea, a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, and perhaps beyond to the Inner Passage and Alaska.
David began searching for someone capable of building a seaworthy Viking ship. Eventually, he found Jay Smith, a shipwright from Washington State who had spent many years building Viking ships in Norway.
The ship also needed materials. Here, the team made a conscious choice to work with local resources whenever possible.
"We tried to only source the very best materials," Erik explains. "We used lots of wood from the Pacific Northwest, including white oak, Douglas fir, and yellow cedar."
The team also looked to lessen the environmental impact in their selection of trees. The fir, for example, was taken from timbers that had been felled in 1915 and left untouched for more than a century.
To construct the ship, the builders employed authentic Viking Age construction techniques whenever possible. The family also assembled a team of volunteers, involving people from the local community.
"There is a lot of craftsmanship in this vessel," Erik confirms. "There have also been so many volunteers who have given up their spare time to come to work on the ship. It's been 13 years in the making."
- READ MORE: All you need to know about Viking ships
Valkyrie measures 56 feet (17 meters) in length and carries both a square sail and oars. Photo: Northwest Viking Ship
Valkyrie: A primal vessel
The result is Valkyrie, a magnificent replica of the famous 11th-century Viking ship Skuldelev 6, which was recovered from the bottom of Roskilde Fjord and is today housed at the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum in Denmark.
"Valkyrie is a 56-footer (17 meters), with a square sail, oars, but also two onboard motors," Erik tells The Viking Herald. "We followed the model of Skuldelev from the very start."
"I wasn't the person who named the ship, but I see the name Valkyrie as something very primal," Erik adds. "As you know, the Valkyries were the creatures who selected slain warriors for Odin's hall, Valhalla. It's something archetypal."
"I also think it makes sense to have a female name. The Vikings are often seen as quite brutish characters, raiders, but there was a lot more to them than that."
As the project neared completion, Erik also decided to make a change to how the ship would be used.
"It was originally a non-profit," Erik explains. "But over the last few years, we have made the move to become a for-profit organization." In this way, Erik hopes that the ship will have a more sustainable future as a seagoing vessel.
"It helps that we are the only Viking ship to have approval from the US Coast Guard," he admits. "We are going to offer tours, cruises, Viking sail training, and even make it available for private charters."
The ship's maiden voyage took place in July and drew wide attention. Photo: Northwest Viking Ship
The big day
After so many years of planning and construction, the maiden voyage was set for July of this year. Finally, the team was ready to spread the word about the ship.
"We actually tried to keep it under wraps for as long as possible," Erik admits. "It was a long project, and we wanted to focus on the construction itself. We did talk to people we knew about it, of course, but we didn't tell the press or the wider world about it."
A qualified captain and experienced sailor, Erik led the first expedition. "We informed the press of the launch. We were finally ready to show everyone what we had built."
Fortunately, the voyage was a resounding success. As the ship sailed through Deception Pass in the Salish Sea, it was met by a crowd of delighted onlookers from the overlooking bridge.
The voyage then brought the crew to several stop-off points in Washington State, which has been home to a significant Scandinavian population for more than a hundred years.
"We took it down to Poulsbo, which is something of a Viking town," Erik adds. "It was founded by Norwegians in the late 1800s—the badge of the city hall is a Viking ship."
"The response was amazing—lots of people came out to see us. We've seen a real community of people develop around the ship. That has to be one of the most beautiful things so far."
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