|
Home
Hours
Telephone: |
The Voyage The Dream Logging Hawley Shipyard Construction Christening Crew Training Voyage
The voyage began in May, 1982 on the Great Lakes. Lake Superior has been reported to be the coldest and hardest part of the voyage. The Hjemkomst and her crew sailed Lake Huron in near record-setting time. All along the trip through the United States, the crew was honored at many receptions and celebrations.
Through part of the Erie Canal the crew had to row the Hjemkomst as their Viking ancestors did along the coasts, and up river and fjords. The Buffalo, NY Westside Rowing Club volunteered to row the ship to North Tonowanda, the beginning of the Erie Canal. The sight of the majestic ship with her oars working in unison is quite a sight to behold.
The Hjemkomst arrived in New York City on June 8, 1982. The sail around the Statue of Liberty, which symbolizes freedom and hope all around the world, brought national attention once again. Not unlike the Statue of Liberty, the Hjemkomst and her story has inspired people all over the world to dream and aspire to whatever their minds can conjure. A few days out of New York the crew began preparing for a fierce tropical storm. They needed to make a few repairs to the rigging and batten down in anticipation. The Hjemkomst was handling well in the heavy seas and soon the crew were to face the ultimate test of the North Atlantic.
During the following weeks on the North Atlantic the crew entertained themselves by writing in their journals, relaxing and reflecting, filling the silence with music, and watching and swimming with dolphins. Words could not express how the crew felt when they first sighted Norway after the weeks spent on the high seas. The crew had put in months of training in preparation for this moment. They did it for Bob Asp and his dream, and for personal dreams, and for adventure-and did it successfully. The crew of 12 was greeted by their families and honored by a hero's welcome by the people of Bergen, Norway on July 19,1982. All around the coast of Norway the Hjemkomst and her crew were honored in
many celebrations, including a royal visit with the King of Norway on his yacht outside of
Hotrod in the Oslo Fjord. On August 9, 1982, the Hjemkomst reached Oslo, Norway, her
final destination-the destination dreamed of by her creator and builder, Robert Asp.
Bob's dream had been fulfilled. The Hjemkomst was stored in Oslo, Norway for one year after the voyage. It was towed to Porsgrumn, its point of departure. The Hjemkomst was transported from Porsgrumn to Cleveland, Ohio aboard the M/V Brunto in August 1983. The ship was then towed from Cleveland to Detroit, Michigan, then transported by truck back to Minnesota. |
Five hundred miles out of New York the storm hit and the crew dauntlessly
worked to ensure the survival of themselves and the Hjemkomst. The strake on the port
side closest to the keel cracked and began to leak. Although only 1/8 of an inch
wide, the crack ran fourteen feet. Crew members stuffed burlap sacks into the crack
to slow the leaking. Interestingly, the damage the ship suffered was after the worst
of the storm had passed and the waves increased to enormous size. Although only 500
miles from New York, Skipper Rudstrom decided the Hjemkomst should contiune its voyage to
Norway. To turn back meant the ship would sail against the wind, perhaps causing
more damage, and would take the same amount of time as it would to sail to Norway.
Several more gales were encountered, but nothing compared to their first and only
significant storm.