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Schedule
Schedule of Upcoming Activities and
Events 2025
Appearances/Demos/Gatherings
ListServ Info
T-Shirts For
Voyage Regulations
Voyages & Work Sessions
All dates and details should be confirmed through the LSCo
Hotline 301-390-4089 - note, this is a person's house, please don't call before
Email longshipco
AT hotmail.com for more information on all events
Current voyage schedule
The Sae Hrafn was launched for the 2025 season on June 21
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October 4 - Saturday Voyage The weather is looking good and we have a number of people already expressing interests, so we should have enough crew to get to any of several destinations.
POSTPONED Oct 11We were contemplating a voyage, but winds and rain will be picking up during the day, leading to very rough weather overnight and Sunday, So we have postponed
October 18 - Saturday Voyage
November 1 Saturday Experimental session with the ship and/or other vessels Several of the members will be off attending an event, so we probably won't have enough crew for a regular voyage. However, depending on the number of people interested in taking part we plan to do some experiments with the ship relatively close to dock, such as determining drag and wind resistance, and perhaps experiment with alternative sails, or, if we have fewer crew we will complete the square-rigging of the dory-skiff and take her out for some sailing trials in the inlet and the creek.
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Tentative November 15 - Saturday Voyage This will be the weekend of the Fenby crafts event. However, we may have a shorter than usual voyage at sunset/evening, perhaps trying some torch lighting effects.
November 22 - Saturday Voyage and down-rigging We have a voyage planned with the Nords Wanderers group, and at the end of the voyage we will take down the mast. We hope to get a bit earier start than usual so as to get back, the gear stowed, and get the mast down before the sunset at 4:50
Nov 29 - back-up date for down-rigging .
December 6 - Haul-out We will take the ship down the creek to the ramp and wrestle her onto the trailer. High tide is at 3:30 and sunset is at 4:45, so we will be in good shape if we are getting the ship on the trailer around 1pm - 1:30pm when the water is getting close to high tide yet we still have three hours of daylight left
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INTERESTED IN COMING ALONG ON A VOYAGE?
Our typical voyage is a casual afternoon trip of a few hours, devoted to
developing ship handling skills, conducting archeology by experimentation, scouting
locations for future filming or other activities, and/or just enjoying the the water, sun, surroundings, wildlife, etc. while getting
some great exercise. Those guests physically able to do so are expected to help in
rowing and the general operation of the ship as needed. Depending on crew size, the weather, and other conditions, we may go out on the lower Potomac (or Chesapeake or Patuxent - depending where we are docked), or explore some of the nearer and more sheltered estuaries in the area. Our current location puts us two hours +/- rowing time (and even less by sail) from the largest (and largely undeveloped) state park in Maryland, where we can run the ship up on one of several beaches, and take a break on land that has a rich historical past. On some occassions we may conduct nautical or archaeological experiments as part of the activities. If you would like to take part in a voyage, we
welcome you to come along as a guest -- space and circumstances permitting.
Contact us to make arrangements and get the required information. There
is no charge. However, donations to the organization are most welcome, and enable us to maintain these unique historical and educational resources here in the mid-Atlantic region. And we hope that you will find it enjoyable and intriguing enough to want to become a member to take part on a regular basis.
You can join our ListServ
which provdes information on upcoming Longship Company
voyages, other activities and events, discussion of boats, etc. Please send an email to longship-company+subscribe@groups.io
Work Sessions
Maintaining the ship is critical to the Longship Company, and participating in the work provides as much, or more, historical experience and insight as sailing and rowing on her.
WORK SESSIONS 2025 -- Dates and tasks are tentative depending on the weather and other factors. Check for updates on the listserve
At home work projects We have described some projects that people can work on at home via the listserve. Watch for updates.
Find a tree with a dragon in it The dragonhead we use on the ship is a stylized minimalist interpretation which works great aesthetically, and clearly projects "Viking ship" even at maximum visual distances. And while it is a simplified form of a contemporary carving image of at least one ship's dragonhead, and is similar to some less elaborate dragon motiefs in jewelry and such from the period, it would be good to have an alternate dragonhead craved in one of the more widely recognized sytles. WHile that suggestion has been around for many years, no one has followed up on it and taken the iniative to make/crave one. So, we are instead just asking for members to keep an eye out for, and obtain, a section of ree trunk or branch, or trunk section with a large branch coming off from it, that we can make into an ongoing display project both for at our base at Oakley and at events i.e. the piece will be worked on incrementally, with a dragonhead emerging in stages. The base diameter would need to be about 12" (though 9" might work if we laminate a piece at the base below the main part of the "neck", and after about 3 feet there would need to be a curving or branching off at, at least 10 degrees to a maximum of about 80 degrees from that initial/base portion, and extending out at least 1 foot and better to about 2 feet (to give us more options) . White oak, cherry, or black walnut would be very good, something softer and lighter like poplar might also work. So, if you see a tree being cut down, or fallen in a storm, take a close look and see if it has a section in which a dragonhead might be lurking, waiting for us with chainsaws, axes, drawknives and chisels to expose it.
Gyrfalcon Refinishing Sanding and refinishing of the Gyrfalcon was started a couple of years ago. It needs to be completed. Although ideally that would be done in the shelter when the Sae Hrafn is in the water, much of the remaining work could be done in the open, just pulling the boat out in front of the barn. (There is a 10'x10' pop-up canopy frame in the barn, which could be set up in front of the barn with a tarp draped over it for shade and/or protection from rain - with the tarp perhaps extended back to the barn to give full coverage of the boat if need be.) Anyone interested in taking on this as a project, let us know - Two or even three people could comfortably work on the Gyrfalcon at a time, and would be sufficient to man-handle it around as needed
June 1 thru November 30 - Hurricane season standby Should there be credible prediction of a hurricane or tropical storm hitting the region, an emergency work party will be scheduled to secure the ship, the shelter, etc. We usually have about a week's warning when forming Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes first become potential threats to the Mid-Atlantic coast, and usually know with some certainty whether they will actually make landfall in this area about three days before they reach here.
Appearances/Demos/Gatherings/Events
September 27 - 28 Longship Company will have the Gyrfalcon on display and reenactor members taking part at Soldiering Through the Ages at the Maryland Veterans Museum at Newburg, MD (south of La Plata
November 1 - 2 Longship Company reenactor members will have an encampment at VikingsCon in Waldorf MD, and will have the Gyrfalcon there
November 14, 15, 16 Fenby - Crafts Sessions LSCo members and friends will gather for a weekend of traditional and modern crafts sessions. There may again be an attempt at iron smelting. Camping on site is possible. And, there may be a voyage, possible at sunset/evening in conjunction with Fenby on Saturday the 15th
All dates and details can be confirmed through the LSCo
Hotline 301-390-4089 - note, this is a person's house, please don't call before
Email longshipco
AT hotmail.com for more information on all events
.
ListServ Info
If you are interested in joining our ListServ
which gets information on upcoming Longship Company
events, related events, discussion of boats, etc. Please send an email to mailto:longship-company+subscribe@groups.io
Longship Company T-Shirts
Are available. $12 for
members, $15 for non-members plus postage. Email longshipco@hotmail.com for ordering
information.
All activities of the Longship Co., Ltd.,
including activities involving the Sae Hrafn or the Gyrfalcon, are at the discretion of the Board
of Directors. If you have any questions about specific events contact the
person(s) listed above, if you have something for the board, the newsletter, or
want more info on joining, please contact the board at the company email box LongshipCo@hotmail.com --- or call the
Longship Hotline at 301-390-4089 (Maryland, USA) for
more information.
VOYAGE REGULATIONS
While serving aboard Longship Company vessels you are expected to obey the following regulations:1. All crew (LSCo members and guests) and officers are expected to row if physically possible. Guests MAY be excused from this requirement.
2. Personal Flotation Devices (Life Preservers) are stowed under the thwarts. If you can't swim or are a poor swimmer, we strongly recommend that you wear one. If you are a good swimmer, be sure to keep it at hand. If you are below the age of 13, Maryland law requires that you wear one at all times. If conditions warrant it, you will all be ordered to wear them. The Mate will demonstrate how they are worn.
3. Please feel free to ask questions or request help from any officer or crew member.
4. In addition, we request that you report any danger or unusual occurrences that you may observe. We can't see everything all the time.
5. In the event that someone falls overboard, speed is of the utmost importance and their rescue shall take precedence over everything else. Shout "Man Overboard!" as loudly as you can and immediately throw a life vest, life ring, or anything that floats, towards them. Even if they are already wearing a life vest, additional flotation will still be useful. If they sink, it will mark the spot we need to return to. Under no circumstances should anyone else jump overboard, as we do not need to try to rescue two people at the same time. If you fall overboard, don't panic. We will be making maximum, and as speedy as possible, effort to retrieve you. And, in some of the areas where we normally take the ship, the water is less than five feet deep, meaning that a person can stand touching bottom with head above water.
6. We carry ample water aboard. Please avail yourself whenever thirsty, or in hot weather, even before you're thirsty.
7. Please keep one hand for yourself and one for the ship.
8. Ask permission before moving from your station.
9. Please ask permission if you want to use any ship's equipment.
10. Please do not litter. Trash will be stowed in designated places.
11. Never jump into any vessel. They are not built for it.
12. Orders will be given by the officers and will always be clearly indicated. Any sentence beginning with "I wonder what . . . " or "I think we should . . . " is a matter being considered and/or discussed, and NOT an order, so do not jump the gun and start the action before the actual order is given.
13. You are reminded you are on this voyage voluntarily. As such, you are responsible for your own safety. Please act prudently and responsibly in all situations.
14. There will be no smoking on this vessel.
15. The use of alcohol will be strictly controlled*, and at the discretion of the Captain.
16. The possession and use of any drugs not prescribed by your doctor, or any illegal substances, is forbidden. If any violation of this regulation is revealed, the vessel will return directly to port, and the authorities will be notified. The Coast Guard will seize any vessels with drugs aboard, and we wish to avoid that fate.
(*Out on the water in general, and especially on a crew-dependent ship like ours, consumption of alcohol even in moderate amounts can be dangerous. So, while alcohol is not absolutely prohibited in all cases, safety is paramount. When allowed, consumption of alcohol will be limited to amounts that will not affect performance and will not have any possibility of jeopardizing safety.)
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