In the old days, many wooden boats were built on farms around our area. One of the most famous boats is a replica of the ship that Leif Erikson (c. 970 to 1020) used when he crossed the Atlantic and discovered North America around the year 1000.
The 42-foot ship was built in the boatyard at Øverleirvollen in Leirskardalen and shipped to Hemnesberget in April 1926. On April 20, the ship sailed from Hemnesberget, and on May 23, Captain Gerhard Folgerø and his crew of three began the 60-day perilous journey in an open boat from Bergen across the Atlantic. Along the way, they stopped at the Shetland Islands, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Newfoundland, before arriving in Boston in August 1926. This was the longest voyage in modern history for a ship of this size, and proved that it was possible for the Vikings to cross the Atlantic in their ships, long before Christopher Columbus.
The journey ended in Duluth, Minnesota, where the ship has its own park named after it. The Leif Erikson ParkThe ship was taken out of the park in 2013 for restoration, but is now back under cover with a newly restored tail and dragon head. On the links to the right you can read more about this exciting boat built in one of the valleys up towards Okstindan.