View source for Sebbe Als

{{Short description|Viking ship replica}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2014}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[Image:Sebbe Als 1.jpg|300px|Sebbe Als]]
|Ship caption=''Sebbe Als'' under sail, September 2006
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=<br>(Denmark)
|Ship flag=[[Image:Flag of Denmark.svg|60px|"Dannebrog"]]
|Ship name=
|Ship namesake=
|Ship owner=
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry=
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=1968
|Ship launched=1969
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship maiden voyage= 
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=[[Augustenborg, Denmark|Augustenborg]], Denmark
|Ship identification={{MMSI|912191202}}
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship honors=
|Ship captured=
|Ship fate=
|Ship status=In use
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[Viking ship]], [[Longship#Snekkja|Snekke]]
|Ship type=
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=3,5 tons
|Ship length=[[Length overall|LOA]]: 17,5 m
|Ship beam=2.5 m
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=0.6 m loaded
|Ship draft=
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=Sail & oars
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship speed={{convert|12|kn|km/h|abbr=on}}
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship boats=
|Ship capacity=
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=min. 11, max 30
|Ship crew=
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=
|Ship armour=
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''''Sebbe Als''''' is a replica of a [[Viking ship]], [[Skuldelev ships|Skuldelev]] wreck no. 5. She is the oldest sailing 'fiver' in Denmark.

==Construction==
[[Image:Sebbe Als 2.jpg|thumb|280px|left|Hull drawing of ''Sebbe Als''.]]
A sailing trip with the '' {{interlanguage link|Imme Gram|da}}'' and the then newly found Skuldelev wrecks became the inspiration for the creation of ''Sebbe Als''.

She was built by a group of local volunteers, a large number of whom were the local Scouts of [[Augustenborg, Denmark|Augustenborg]], and she was launched in 1969.

The construction drawings were the first crude drawings from the Skuldelev [[archaeological]] dig. The archaeologists were keen to have an accurate replica, as the finished ship would provide invaluable information about Viking ships in general.

She was built with copies of the original tools, mainly [[adze]]s, manufactured by the local blacksmith after Viking age finds.

There was no local shipyard with sufficient room, so she was built in the-then Augustenborg Lumber Yard.
When the lumber yard was closed, and a new yacht harbour built in its place, a [[naust]] (a traditional Norwegian boathouse) was built about half a nautical mile from the harbour. Each winter ''Sebbe Als'' is pulled into the naust for storage and maintenance. Most of the maintenance and repair work is done in 'work weekends' during the winter.

''Sebbe'' is [[square-rig]]ged, meaning that she has a big, roughly square [[sail]] hung under a yard. A square sail is the simplest way of creating a large sail area on a relatively low [[Mast (sailing)|mast]]. During unfavourable winds, or manoeuvering in the harbour or other confined spaces, she has the propulsion in the form of [[oars]].

==Ownership==
[[Image:Naust of Sebbe Als 2.jpg|thumb|305px|right|The Naust of ''Sebbe Als''.]]
''Sebbe Als'' is owned by "Vikingeskibslaget Sebbe Als" ("The Sebbe Als Viking Ship Guild"), which is a self-owned association with members all over Denmark as well as in neighbouring countries and in the United States.

The Guild also owns a smaller Viking ship - or, more correctly, a [[Fareoe boat]] - the ''Ottar Als'', which is used for training, or simply for pleasure.

A small [[Glass-reinforced plastic|GRP]] boat with an outboard engine, ''Fie Als'', is used as a safety- and tugboat on longer trips, or trips with an unskilled crew. ''Fie'' is generally not used as a pleasure craft.

==Experiments==
The wreck of Skuldelev no. 5 was so well preserved, that wear marks from the original rig could be found. ''Sebbe''s mast and rig were reconstructed from these marks, but it was still necessary to experiment to clarify many of the details. As a result, ''Sebbe'' now has a 45 m<sup>2</sup> square sail with only the top yard, and the steering oar has an angle of approx. 25° instead of the vertical position originally planned.

Following the experiments, the shipbuilders of the Viking age have earned much respect. ''Sebbe Als'' is not very good at [[tacking (sailing)|tacking]]; at the best of times she can go only 45 degrees to the wind, but the speed is impressive, as she is approximately twice as fast as the original calculations indicated. She can easily run at {{convert|12|kn|km/h}} on a half wind. A motivated crew can row her to about {{convert|6|kn|km/h}}, and it is faster to row her straight against the wind than tacking.

Many of the experiences gained from the use of ''Sebbe Als'' have proved useful in the construction and handling of other replicas, including ''[[Havhingsten fra Glendalough]]'' ("Sea Stallion from Glendalough").

The type of ship is so unusual nowadays that the Danish Maritime Authority has set special rules for crew and equipment. As an example, despite the low tonnage of the ship, the ship's master must at least hold a licence as Yacht Master Third class, and the ship must have a crew of at least 11. The rules are revised every few years.

==Use==
Every year ''Sebbe Als'' undertakes a summer cruise, usually of 1 – 3 weeks duration, and has travelled along most of the Danish and north German coasts. Smaller sailing trips happen in accordance with the choice of the Guild's members, whenever a crew can be assembled.

'''The longest sailing trip''' voyage of ''Sebbe Als'' went from Hedeby ([[Haithabu]] - a trading city from the Viking age) in [[Schleswig-Holstein]], Germany to [[Kaupang]] (another Viking age trading city) in the [[Oslo]] Firth, Norway. The trip was made in order to put an old Viking [[saga]] to the test. A Viking skipper claimed to have made the trip in just five days and five nights (120 hours). In the summer of 1972 ''Sebbe Als'' and her crew did the trip in 114 hours, and proved the possible truth of the old saga.

'''The longest travel''' voyage of ''Sebbe Als'' went to the United States - she participated in the [[United States Bicentennial|bicentennial]] celebrations in 1976, mainly sailing on the [[Hudson River]] at [[New York City]] as a guest of the [[Hudson River Sloop Clearwater]], the folk singer [[Pete Seeger]] and the Clearwater Organization. ''Sebbe'' did not cross the [[Atlantic]] under sail, but as deck cargo on a modern ship. The crew travelled by air.

She is often used in film or TV productions about the Viking age.

== External links ==
* [http://www.sebbeals.dk/ Vikingeskibslaget Sebbe Als] (in Danish)
* [http://www.skoletjenesten.dk/sider/Pdf/Vikingeskibsmuseet/skuldelev5.pdf The school service about Skuldelev 5] (in Danish)

[[Category:Replicas of Viking ships]]
[[Category:1969 ships]]