Latest News: updated August 2007

To help with publicity and fund raising Jorvik Afloat has borrowed a modern plastic reproduction Longship from a group of people known as Regia Angalorum. They have given us use of the boat provided we restore it's fabric to a water tight state by making necessary repairs and obtaining a Surveyors' Report.

This is the state of the Longship before we started work on it.

Enough basic work has been done and the Longship took to the water on 8th July 2007 and a survey was provided for us by Blue Star Surveys: www.bluestarsurveys.co.uk

Press and local radio were on board when we started the 4 mile journey up the River Ouse from York Marina at Naburn to moorings at Kings Staith in the centre of York. Chris and his family kindly towed our plastic Longship with their Cruiser against the tide as crowds of astonished on-lookers waved and shouted support.

Our intention was to show the Longship as a means of generating interest in Jorvik Afloat and our quest to build a wooden faithful replica of a Longship as well as part of our fund raising. Our progress up river was followed by TV cameras as well as a live radio link to local Radio. We had TV coverage on that nights local news broadcasts as well as interviews with group members and spectators.

So although the day was eventful and started out as planned unfortunately the weather was not kind and as the York Blues Brothers band played and the crowds began to arrive, with the tomboller tickets selling fast and as our computer generated 'Get your Viking Name Certificate' got into full flow the rain came, and it rained so hard we were in danger of blowing up the computer and shorting the bands gear. We had to call our event off.

Big disappointment, we did manage to raise over a hundred pounds and so just cover our costs. We will do it again and hopefully the weather will be better.

If you are interested in supporting us or want to find out more about sponsorship then please go to our contacts page and we'll get right back to you.