Today was our final community event at Suduroy before we set sail. We don’t know how long it could be before we cast off, as we need to make sure the weather is favorable. As explorers, we need to be able to comfortably deal with uncertainty, and that’s what we are doing.
The event today was also at the Salt Hall, formerly used to store salt for food preservation, as the name suggests. We had about 500 school kids at the event. I spoke about our voyage, and why it’s important to me to do this trip, and I told the kids a story from Viking history as well. Andy captivated the audience with his sailing expeditions, and made demonstrations with Martin of how to use sailing gear. Andy is a great leader, and I can see it in the way he makes decisions and acts: no hesitation, precise conveyance of instructions, and an ongoing analysis of the best course of action to take.
Livar spoke about his ocean rowing stories. It was in Faroese, so I don’t know what stories he spoke about exactly, but there’s a a story he told me about how a great white shark came from the deep and attacked his boat, taking the rudder, and leaving him without any ability to steer, so the crew had to take a zigzag course all the way to their destination. The fiberglass hull of the boat also ruined their store of food, so he had to make a fishhook out of a pin to catch fish. At one point, Livar went on stage holding a teacup he had drank from, and he was vigorously gesturing with it. A large man holding a little teacup and gesturing with it: it was hard not to smile at this adorable scene.
Then Bertrand Piccard, Swiss explorer and the first man to fly around the world in a balloon, as well as flying around the world in a solar-powered plane, joined the event virtually, and spoke about how the kids should always keep asking questions and learning, and most importantly not accepting the answer that something is “impossible” because it is not. It may be difficult, but not impossible.
Finally, the Minister of Culture, Sirið Stenberg, gave a speech in Faroese to the audience. Saeny the Red and I interviewed her afterwards, and she described a lovely vision for nourishing and preserving Faroese culture so it may prosper into the future.
To cap off the event, Andy surprised the children with Swiss Army knives, generously gifted by Victorinox. While handing out knives to kids might raise eyebrows elsewhere, in the Faroe Islands, it's as natural as carrying a wallet. As Ernst fondly recalled, "When I was six years old, I was told to keep a knife in my pocket." The gifts were met with excitement and appreciation.
In the evening, the boathouse men and their families arranged a dinner for us at the boathouse. Johann, the man who built Naddoddur with his father, sat next to me. We talked about boat building and he decided to take me to the boathouse where he built Naddoddur. In the meantime, Georg and I had a talk about what would happen if I encountered a shark. I told him I’d heard a lot of different advice about how to deal with a shark encounter. He said “try them all.” I said, “They’re pretty different methods though. One I’ve heard is to punch it in the nose, and the other is to gently push it aside.” He responded “Well, try that first. It would be a non-escalatory way to do it.” I laughed hard, and he said “Maybe first try to rub your belly on it and see if it likes it.” Hilarious.
Johann took us to the workshop where he built the boat and showed us his tools and the process by which he builds boats. It was beautiful, with all the tools neatly arranged, the smell of wood, and masterfully wrought oars on the workbench. He took us then to one of the boats he and his father built, using only hand tools, with no electricity. I tried building a cabinet once a long time who, and it was crooked, even using power tools and modern measuring tools. These men built a functional BOAT with hand tools.
Ernst joined us at the workshop, and told us the story of Naddoddur. Another Viking boat came to Tvroyori many years ago, and it inspired him, so approached Johann and told him he should build a Viking boat. So Johann did so in a matter of a few months. Then they held a competition to name the boat, and “Naddoddur” won.
“I feel very special that you will be going to Norway on my boat,” Johann told me. He’s a man of few words, and that he’s had several conversations with me makes me feel really glad. I could hug him (and actually sometimes I do).
On the way back, Ernst took us to his house and we had beers around his table, chatting the evening away.
Tomorrow, we'll likely test our new sail and take Naddoddur out on the water as we await less volatile weather for our voyage.
I leave you now with more Viking wisdom: “The sea is always the same and yet, every day it is new.” This rings true as we patiently wait for the whims of the weather favor our sea crossing; but it also holds true in the broader sense of a man’s life too, for constancy of change can be counted on regardless of however routine any part of life may seem, and it’s up to us to acknowledge and find use in the newness of each day.
Your Loyal Viking Archeologist and Official Stowaway,
Karla
