We joined in both as functionaries with our safety boat and as
sailing participants with our dug out boat Faravid.
This kind of sailing was now arranged for the first time in
Finland. Raid Finland is an international long distance race for
classic small open boats without the assistance of motors. The
race went from Helsinki to Lovisa. See presentation of Raid Finland.
The event was a success. See Byström´s picture
gallery of Raid Finland 2002. Mike Hanyi was the head organizer. Mike is from USA but
lives since some years in Finland.
A squadron sailing of this kind, without too strict racing
regulations, fits the shallow coast of Finland with its abundant
archipelago. Raid Finland is planned to become an annual event.
It will be arranged on the southwest coast next year.
Our participation was part of an archaeological experiment
with the intention to test how a dug out boat (asping) is sailing.
There is a thousand year old text telling that the ancient people
of Rus rigged their dug out boats when they moved from river
rowing to open sea sailing. Our purpose was to see how this was
possible.
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Launching Faravid on the 17th of July. This vessel is easy to handle and can be carried by two men. The empty boat weights about 70 kg. Beside the boat stands the crew. To the left Fredrik Koivusalo and to the right Antti Tenetz. Photo by Märta and Robin Hackman. |
| By rules of the race there must be an anchor onboard. We made a stone anchor for the purpose. A find of an Icelandic Viking Age stone anchor served as a model. You se also some ballast stones and the typical long bladed paddle. Photo by Märta and Robin Hackman. |
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The
boat has an primitive but well functioning square rig. Tacking is difficult but there is no need for tacking with this vessel. - When the others had to tack we came along faster by taking down the sail and paddle. On the sail you see the "ukkokirves", which is the logo of the Rus Project. Photo by Christer Byström. |
| Note the low freeboard of the vessel! The total cargo is about 200 kg. One pair of planking, fastened with root seam to the rail of the dug oat, makes it possible to keep the vessel relatively heavily loaded on the open sea. Photo by Vincenzo Ciminale |
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| The bunches of rush, which the ancient seafarers in East Europe used along the rail of their boats, turned out to be effective in our experiment. They increase the buoyancy and make the vessel more seaworthy without making it heavier or bigger. Photo by Jarmo Manner |
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The draught of Faravid is only about 15 centimeters. There is no keel. Sailing and raiding in shallow waters is easy with this kind of vessel. Photo by Jarmo Manner. |
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