Captain Bjorn Ahlander, who has commanded a number of tall ships during his career, described Draken Harald Harfagre as highly seaworthy but demanding to operate.
OSLO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- A Norwegian Viking ship featured in Christopher Nolan's film "The Odyssey" opened for public tours in Oslo on Sunday, giving visitors an opportunity to board the vessel and learn about its construction, voyages and life at sea.
The 35-meter-long Draken Harald Harfagre is docked at Langkaia on the Oslo waterfront. Guided tours and an exhibition on the quay will be available daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through July 31.
The ship and some members of its international crew appear in "The Odyssey". The visit is part of events marking the film's Norwegian premiere.
Draken arrived in Oslo on Wednesday after completing a five-day voyage from Kopervik, near the western Norwegian city of Haugesund. With its square sail raised and crew members pulling at the oars, the vessel drew crowds as it entered the harbor on its first visit to the capital.
Built in Haugesund and launched in 2012, the vessel was developed as an experimental archaeology project to explore the construction, sailing performance and seaworthiness of large Viking-era ships. Its design draws on archaeological finds, Norse sagas, visual sources and traditional Norwegian boatbuilding knowledge.
Captain Bjorn Ahlander, who has commanded a number of tall ships during his career, described Draken as highly seaworthy but demanding to operate.
"I have sailed a lot of big ships,"Ahlander told Xinhua. "But this small, beautiful ship is extremely seaworthy and very demanding. It's difficult to sail her, but when you have a good crew and everybody works together, it's fantastic."
In 2016, Ahlander commanded Draken on an expedition across the North Atlantic. The ship sailed from Norway to North America via Shetland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland, following a route associated with Viking voyages more than 1,000 years ago.
The vessel is equipped with modern navigation and safety systems, including engines and emergency pumps, while retaining its historically inspired wooden hull, square sail and rigging. ■
