Chicago here we come!
Press release July 20 2016
Draken Harald Hårfagre is able to leave Bay City, MI, and sail towards Chicago! We are so grateful for all the people engaging in our efforts to continue our expedition in the Great Lakes, it is because of your generous donations we are able to continue! The fundraise through Sons of Norway have been crucial in the decision to keep on sailing to Chicago. The struggle is not yet over, we still need to find a way to go further than Chicago, we still need your help.
Draken leaves Bay City Wednesday July 20 and will sail towards Chicago as fast as possible in order to use as few pilot hours as possible on her way to Pepsi Tall Ships Chicago 2016.
With your continued support and donations we know that reaching Green Bay and Duluth is now a possibility. We are working very hard with all possible solutions to find sponsorships and reduce the amount of funds we need to raise.
Please help us sail further! To donate: sonsofnorway.com/draken
Background:
Draken Harald Hårfagre is the world’s largest Viking ship sailing in modern times, 115 ft long and 26 ft wide. She left her home port of Haugesund, Norway on April 26 to sail across the North Atlantic ocean to Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland, Canada. The 1st of June 2016 she reached the North American continent and St Anthony, Newfoundland, Canada, the route Vikings sailed a thousand years ago.
Her journey continued into the St Lawrence Seaway with stops in Baie Comeau, Quebec City, Montreal, Brockville and continued into the Great Lakes and joined the Tall Ships Challenge Great Lakes 2016 with the intention to race around all the 5 Great Lakes during the summer of 2016.
When entering the Great Lakes the project encountered an unfortunate misunderstanding regarding the pilotage fees in the Great Lakes. During the planning stages of the project Draken Harald Hårfagre was in contact with the different authorities controlling the pilotage in the Great Lakes and received several informations on the rules regarding the fees for a vessel like Draken Harald Hårfagre. The budget of the project can not bare the cost of the pilotage in the Great Lakes.
Draken Harald Hårfagre has planned stops in Chicago, Green Bay and Duluth but will, if she si able to continue her voyage, also make several unplanned stops along the route, meeting all the people who has shown so much interest and engagement in our project.
facebook.com/drakenharaldharfagre
instagram.com/drakenharaldharfagre
For pictures & film clips:
ftp.drakenexpeditionamerica.com
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Press contact:
Sarah Blank, +1 207 409 4162, sarah@drakenexpeditionamerica.com