What was the largest Viking ship?
Draken Harald Hårfagre
Draken Harald Hårfagre () is a large Viking longship built in the municipality of Haugesund, Norway. "Draken Harald Hårfagre" brings the seafaring qualities of a warship from the old Norse sagas to life. It is a ship that combines ocean-crossing sailing capabilities with a warship's use of oars.
RMS Majestic (1889)
In 1895, "Majestic" was assigned Captain Edward Smith, later notable as the captain of "Titanic". Smith served as "Majestic's" captain for nine years. When the Boer War started in 1899, Smith and "Majestic" were called upon to transport troops to Cape Colony. Two trips were made to South Africa, one in December 1899 and one in February 1900, both without incident. Another Titanic shipmate served under Smith aboard the Majestic; Charles Lightoller served as a deck officer for Smith was later the most senior officer of the "Titanic" to survive the sinking.
In 1902–1903, the ship underwent a refit, which included new boilers and taller twin funnels, after which she returned to the Liverpool-New York run. Smith left as captain in 1904 to take on the new "Baltic", then the largest ship in the world. In 1905, "Majestic" suffered a fire in her bunker, but the damage was not significant. In 1907, White Star's main terminal was moved from Liverpool to Southampton and, on 26 June, "Majestic" sailed from these new facilities for the first time.
Viking Line
Viking Line's history can be traced back to 1959, when a group of sea- and businessmen from the Åland Islands province in Finland formed Rederi Ab Vikinglinjen, purchased a steam-powered car-ferry SS "Dinard" from the UK, renamed her and began service on the route Korpo (Finland)–Mariehamn (Åland)–Gräddö (Sweden). In the same year the Gotland-based Rederi AB Slite began a service between Simpnäs (Sweden) and Mariehamn.
Royal Caribbean International
The sixth largest passenger ships at sea (Royal Caribbean's own "Oasis, Quantum and Freedom" classes, Norwegian Cruise Line's "Norwegian Epic" and Cunard's Queen Mary 2), the "Voyager"-class ships were the largest class of cruise ships in the world when constructed and were the first ships to have an ice rink at sea and the first to have Royal Caribbean's "Royal Promenade" mall concept, a main thoroughfare extending most of the length of the ship, flanked by bars, cafes, and shopping venues. They were built at Kvaerner Masa-Yards' (now STX Europe) facility in Turku, Finland. They have a gross tonnage of around 137,000 tonnes. Activity options on all five ships board include a basketball court, at least 3 pools, a mini-golf course, a rock wall, an ice skating rink and, originally, an inline skating track. "Navigator of the Seas" replaced the inline skating track with a Flowrider surf simulator in 2014, and similar changes are planned for "Voyager" and "Explorer".
Norwegian Capricorn Line
The sole vessel in Norwegian Capricorn Line's fleet was the 206m, 28 000 tonne Norwegian Star. The Norwegian Star was originally built as the Royal Viking Line cruise ship Royal Viking Sea in 1973. Royal Viking Line were acquired by Knut Kloster of Norwegian Cruise Line in 1984, and initially retained their separate identity. Royal Viking Sea was transferred to Royal Cruise Line in 1990 as the Royal Odyssey (II). The Royal Viking Line name was sold to Cunard in 1994. Royal Odyssey was transferred into the main Norwegian Cruise Line fleet in 1996 as Norwegian Star and in 1997/98 she was transferred to the then newly formed Norwegian Capricorn Line. With Norwegian Capricorn Line, the Norwegian Star carried a maximum of 848 passengers in 424 suites/staterooms. In 2001 she became part of the Star Cruises fleet. After a period laid up, she was placed on weekly cruises from Valencia as Crown Mare Nostrum for Spanish Cruise Line. From 2005 she was running as the MS Albatros (II) for German tour company Phoenix Reisen.
Olympic-class ocean liner
The "Olympic"-class ships were long, displacing normally (their draft at this displacement being ), and their tonnage was around 45-46,000 GRT. "Olympic" became the largest ship in the world when it was completed in May, 1911 before losing the title to its sister "Titanic" when she was completed in April, 1912. After the loss of "Titanic" the third sister ship "Britannic" claimed the title of largest British-built ship until her own sinking in November 1916. After this "Olympic" would enjoy the title for 20 years until the commissioning of in 1936. All three vessels sported four funnels, with the fourth being a dummy which was used for ventilation purposes. Smoke from the galleys and Smoking Room fireplaces was exhausted through a chimney up the forward portion of this funnel. On the one hand it was a decoration to establish a symmetry in the ships' profile, on the other hand, acting as a huge ventilation shaft, it prevented the large amount of ventilation cowls on deck as on Cunard's "Lusitania" and "Mauretania".
Longship
In Scandinavia, the longship was the usual vessel for war even with the introduction of cogs in the 12th–13th centuries. Leidang fleet-levy laws remained in place for most of the Middle Ages, demanding that the freemen should build, man and furnish ships for war if demanded by the king—ships with at least 20 or 25 oar-pairs (40–50+ rowers). However, by the late 14th century, these low-boarded vessels were at a disadvantage against newer, taller vessels—when the Victual Brothers, in the employ of the Hansa, attacked Bergen in the autumn of 1393, the "great ships" of the pirates could not be boarded by the Norwegian levy ships called out by Margaret I of Denmark, and the raiders were able to sack the town with impunity. While earlier times had seen larger and taller longships in service, by this time the authorities had also gone over to other types of ships for warfare. The last Viking longship was defeated in 1429.
Havhingsten fra Glendalough
Havhingsten fra Glendalough ("The Sea Stallion from Glendalough" or just "Sea Stallion") is a reconstruction of "Skuldelev 2", one of the Skuldelev ships and the second-largest Viking longship ever to be found. The original vessel was built in the vicinity of Dublin around 1042, using oak from Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland, hence the ship's name. The reconstruction was built in Denmark at the shipyard of the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde between 2000 and 2004 and is used for historical research purposes.
Gokstad ship
The Gokstad ship is a 9th-century Viking ship found in a burial mound at Gokstad in Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway. It is currently on display at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway.
It is the largest preserved Viking ship in Norway.
Blohm &amp; Voss BV 222
The Blohm & Voss BV 222 "Wiking" (German: "Viking") was a large, six-engined German flying boat of World War II. Originally designed as a commercial transport, it was the largest seaplane to attain production status during the war.
Robert Asp
"Hjemkomst", which means "Homecoming" in Norwegian, is a replica Viking ship that is permanently housed in The Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center. The ship is a full-scale replica of the Gokstad Viking ship that was discovered in Norway in 1881. Construction on "Hjemkomst" began in 1974 at the Leslie Welter Potato Warehouse in Hawley, Minnesota. The warehouse site was then transformed into the Hawley Shipyard during the construction. That same year, Asp became diagnosed with leukemia; however he still continued to build the ship; he had help from other volunteers. .
In July 1980 the Hawley Shipyard was torn down for the removal and christening of the completed ship. "Hjemkomst" was shipped overnight to Duluth, Minnesota, on August 5, 1980. Asp held the rank as captain during the ship's maiden voyage throughout Lake Superior until his death four months later on December 27, 1980. In May 1982, Asp's three sons and daughter along with eight members of "Hjemkomst"s crew decided to sail "Hjemkomst" to Norway, which was Asp's original dream. The ship departed New York City on June 8, 1982 and arrived in Bergen, Norway on July 19, 1982. The ship subsequently sailed to Oslo, Norway arriving on August 9, 1982. The ship stayed in Oslo for a year until it was transported back to Minnesota on board the Bulk Carrier "M/V Brunto".
MV Tønsberg
MV "Tønsberg" is a roll-on/roll-off ship owned by Wilh. Wilhelmsen. it is the largest RORO ship in the world.MV "Tønsberg" is the fourth Wilhelmsen ship to carry this name; it's named after the Norwegian coastal town where Wilhelmsen was founded in 1861. It was built to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Wilh. Wilhelmsen line. It is the first in a series of four "Mark V" ships, built in 2010-2011 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki, in Japan. The second ship of the class, Parsifal, was delivered in September 2011.
MV Viking Sea
MV "Viking Sea", classified as a small cruise ship, was built by Italian shipbuilders Fincantieri for Viking Ocean Cruises. She sailed from Venice to New Capital Quay on the River Thames at Greenwich, London, England, where on 5 May 2016 she became the largest vessel named in London. She will sail around Scandinavia, the Baltic and across the Mediterranean during her maiden season. "Viking Sea" has 3 sister ships, , and "Viking Sun".
Viking (barque)
Viking (also known by the ship type as a prefix, Barken Viking) is a four-masted steel barque, built in 1906 by Burmeister & Wain in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is reported to be the biggest sailing ship ever built in Scandinavia. In the 21st century her sailing days have drawn to a close, and she is moored as botel in Gothenburg, Sweden
Odense Steel Shipyard
Since 1996 the Yard built some of the world's largest container ships; including the Mærsk E-class with a nominal capacity of 15,550 TEU (originally declared as 11,000 TEU), the highest equivalent number of any vessel as of today. However, Maersk chose Daewoo to build its latest and largest design, the Triple E class with a nominal capacity of 18,000 TEU, as the Asian shipyard was more competitive.
The original shipyard remained in operation until 1966, when all operations were transferred to the new site. Unlike the modern shipyard, the old yard produced civilian and merchant vessels only. Its first completed ship was cargo steamship "Robert Mærsk", completed in 1920. Its last production was Yard No. 177, the bulk carrier "Laura Mærsk".
Valerian Kuybyshev (ship)
The Valerian Kuybyshev () is a "Valerian Kuybyshev"-class (92-016, OL400) Soviet/Russian river cruise ship, cruising in the Volga – Neva basin. The ship was built by Slovenské Lodenice at their shipyard in Komárno, Czechoslovakia and entered service in 1976. She was named after prominent Soviet politician Valerian Kuybyshev. At 3,950 tonnes, "Valerian Kuybyshev" is one of the world's biggest river cruise ships. Her sister ships are "Feliks Dzerzhinskiy", "Mikhail Frunze", "Fyodor Shalyapin", "Sergey Kuchkin", "Mstislav Rostropovich", "Aleksandr Suvorov", "Semyon Budyonnyy" and "Georgiy Zhukov". "Valerian Kuybyshev" is currently operated by "Vodohod", the biggest Russian river cruise line.
Vikings
Well-preserved remains of five Viking ships were excavated from Roskilde Fjord in the late 1960s, representing both the longship and the "knarr". The ships were scuttled there in the 11th century to block a navigation channel and thus protect Roskilde, then the Danish capital, from seaborne assault. The remains of these ships are on display at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde.
Jackson Park (Chicago)
The only other significant building that survived the fair is the Norway Pavilion, a building now preserved at a museum called "Little Norway" in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. "The Viking," a replica of the ancient Viking ship "The Gokstad", built at Framnes Shipyard in Sandefjord, Norway in 1892 and sailed across the Atlantic to the fair in 1893, is currently located at Good Templar Park in Geneva, Illinois.
MS Cinderella
Viking Line decided to withdraw "Cinderella" from the Helsinki–Tallinn route after the end of the 2003 summer seasons, due to increased competition from Tallink's newer MS "Romantika" and the fact tax-free sales on the route would end in 2004 when Estonia joined the EU. "Cinderella" was extensively rebuilt in Naantali, and emerged as the all-white Swedish-flagged "Viking Cinderella" for the Stockholm–Mariehamn 22-hour cruise market. The name change was dictated by necessity as a ship called Cinderella already existed in the Swedish ship registry. In 2003 the "Viking Cinderella" was declared the most environmentally friendly ship of her size in the world by the Swedish maritime authorities. From 2004 onwards "Viking Cinderella" made cruises to Riga (via Mariehamn in order to sell tax-free goods) during the summer season in addition to the 22-hour cruises. Viking Cinderella is currently the ship used in Sweden's Kanal 5 docusoap Färjan.
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was founded in 1968 by three Norwegian shipping companies: Anders Wilhelmsen & Company, I.M. Skaugen & Company, and Gotaas Larsen. The newly created line put its first ship, the "Song of Norway", into service two years later. A year later, the line added the "Nordic Prince" to the fleet and in 1972 it added the "Sun Viking". In 1978, "Song of Norway" became Royal Caribbean's first passenger ship to be lengthened. This was accomplished via the insertion of an section to the vessel's severed center. Following the success of this work, "Nordic Prince" was also stretched in 1980. During the stretching on both ships, their sterns were modified. However the "Sun Viking" was not stretched or modified and remained the same size and shape. Royal Caribbean received widespread global recognition when in 1982 it launched the "Song of America", over twice the size of "Sun Viking" and at the time the third largest passenger vessel afloat (after the "Norway" and ).
In 1986, Royal Caribbean leased a coastal property in Labadie, Haiti to be used as a private destination for its guests, renamed as Labadee. After a corporate restructuring in 1988, the line launched "Sovereign of the Seas", the largest passenger vessel afloat at the time. That same year, Royal Caribbean also merged with Admiral Cruises. Two years later in 1990, "Nordic Empress" and "Viking Serenade" also entered service, while Royal Caribbean purchased a second private destination, Little Stirrup Cay, an island in the Bahamas, which they branded as CocoCay.
The second and third s "Monarch of the Seas" and "Majesty of the Seas" were delivered in 1991 and 1992 respectively.
Lilleberge Viking Burial
Lilleberge is located in Nord-Trøndelag county in the district of Namdalen. A large ship barrow in the vicinity of Lilleberge was excavated in the 1886 by the British archaeologist, Alfred Heneage Cocks. The barrow was over 40 metres in length and contained a ship that was 10 metres long. Cocks later took all the finds to England and sold them to the British Museum in 1891.
Silja Line
1987 was a very eventful year for Silja. Effoa had purchased the famous GTS "Finnjet" the previous year and from the beginning of 1987 the prestigious but unprofitable "Queen of the Baltic Sea" joined Silja Line's fleet. Later in the same year Effoa and Johnson Line jointly purchased Rederi Ab Sally, one of the owners of their rival Viking Line. The other Viking Line partners forced the new owners to sell their share in Viking, but Effoa and Johnson Line still gained Vaasanlaivat / Vasabåtarna, Sally Cruises, Sally Ferries UK and Commodore Cruise Line. Although the purchase of Sally had no effect in Silja Line's traffic for the time being, it proved to be important later. Finally 1987 saw the order of new ships for Helsinki–Stockholm route (again), which would be the largest ferries ever built (again), eventually named and . Not revealed at the time, the new ships had a 140-meter promenade-street running along the center of the ship, a feature never seen before in a ship (these days promenades are commonly found on Royal Caribbean International's and Color Line's newer ships).
Viking (barque)
"Viking" was originally built as a sail training ship for the rapidly growing Danish merchant fleet. At that time, seaworthiness and cargo capacity were given top priority. One day in July 1909, while carrying a full cargo of wheat from Australia, Captain Niels Clausen recorded a speed record in the ship's log: .
Viking ship replica
Viking ship replicas are one of the more common types of ship replica. "Viking", the very first Viking ship replica, was built by the Rødsverven shipyard in Sandefjord, Norway. In 1893 it sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to Chicago in the United States for the World's Columbian Exposition. Formerly located in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, the "Viking" is currently undergoing conservation in Geneva, Illinois, United States.
Longship
Snekkjas were one of the most common types of ship. According to Viking lore, Canute the Great used 1,200 in Norway in 1028.
Jubilee-class ocean liner
"Suevic" was launched on 8 December 1900, and made her maiden voyage on 23 March the following year. At , "Suevic" was fractionally the largest of the Class. Like her sisters, during her early career she carried British troops to the Boer War on the outbound journeys to Cape Town, and Australian troops on the inbound journeys. After an uneventful early career, on 17 March 1907, "Suevic" ran aground on rocks near Lizard Point, Cornwall due to a navigational error which led to her position being miscalculated. After the passengers, crew and cargo were taken off the ship, unsuccessful efforts were made to free the vessel by reversing her engines. As only the bow was stuck on the rocks, and the stern section was undamaged, an unusual salvage operation was decided on, which involved splitting the ship in two with explosive charges, and constructing a new bow which would then be joined to the freed stern. On 2 April "Suevic" was successfully divided with dynamite, and the freed stern section was made seaworthy and then towed to Southampton, with the original bow left on the rocks. A new bow section was constructed at Belfast, and was then towed to Southampton, where it was joined to the original stern. "Suevic" then returned to her normal service on 14 January 1908. She initially remained in commercial service following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, but was taken up as an Australian troopship in May 1915, and made one dedicated trooping journey to the Gallipoli Campaign. She was taken up by the British government under the Liner Requisition Scheme between 1917 and 1920, after which she was refitted and returned to commercial service on the Australian service with her remaining sisters. In 1928 she was sold to Yngvar Hvistendahl's Finnhval A/S of Norway, and like her sisters "Medic" and "Runic" was converted into a whale factory ship and renamed "Skytteren". When Norway was invaded by Nazi Germany in 1940, "Skytteren" was left stranded at the Port of Gothenburg in neutral Sweden. On 1 April 1942 "Skytteren" and nine other Norwegian ships made an attempt to reach international waters, where they would be guided by the Allies to the UK, the operation was a disaster as the Germans were tipped off; six of the ships were scuttled or sunk by the Germans, and two returned to Sweden, only two of the ships made it, "Skytteren" was not one of them; she was scuttled by her crew to avoid being captured by the Germans off the Swedish coast, and her crew taken as prisoners of war.
Viking ships
Furthermore, during the early Viking Age, oar ports replaced rowlocks, allowing oars to be stored while the ship was at sail and to provide better angles for rowing. The largest ships of the era could travel five to six knots using oar power and up to ten knots under sail.
MS Moby Dada
Originally to be named "Skandia", "Finlandia" was the first large, modern cruiseferry to be built for Silja Line. At the time she was also the world's largest cruiseferry in terms of passenger capacity, beds and volume. Alongside her sister (and Viking Line's contemporary "Viking Saga" and "Viking Song") she was instrumental in changing the Helsinki-Stockholm route from a transportation service into a cruise route.
HMS Victoria (1859)
With a displacement of 6,959 tons, she was the largest wooden battleship which ever entered service. She was also the world's largest warship until the completion of HMS "Warrior", Britain's first ironclad battleship, in 1861.
SS Viking (1905)
"Viking" was built at Armstrong Whitworth's Walker Shipyard on the River Tyne and was launched by Miss Woodhead on Thursday 9 March 1905. "Viking" was the first turbine driven vessel in the Company's history.
Viking ships
In the literature, Viking ships are usually seen divided into two broad categories: merchant ships and warships. These categories are overlapping; some kinds of merchant ships, built for transporting cargo specifically, could also be used as warships. The majority of Viking ships were designed for sailing rivers, fjords and coastal waters, while a few types, such as the "knarr", could navigate the open sea and even the ocean. The Viking ships ranged from the Baltic Sea to far from the Scandinavian homelands, to Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Newfoundland, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and Africa.
SS Viking (1905)
"Viking's" three propellers were driven by three sets of Parsons direct-acting turbines, the higher pressure in the centre and the lower pressure in each wing. She had a boiler steam pressure of 160 pounds p.s.i.
The astern turbines which operated on the wing propellers were incorporated in the low pressure casings. She was in service until 1954, and became the last coal burning passenger ship in Steam Packet service. Her furnesses would consume 60 tons of coal on a round trip between Douglas and Fleetwood.
SM U-66
"U-66" sank her largest ship, the 6,583-ton British steamer "Bay State" on 10 June. The Warren Line cargo steamer had departed from Boston (the capital of Massachusetts nicknamed, coincidentally, the "Bay State") with a $2,000,000 war cargo destined for Liverpool. "U-66" intercepted the ship northwest of Fastnet and sank her, but there were no casualties among her crew of 45. Four days later, "U-66" encountered the Norwegian bark "Perfect", laden with grain, headed from Bahía Blanca for Copenhagen. "Perfect", which had been built in 1877, was dispatched by "U-66"s deck gun at position , east of Shetland.
Viking Ship Museum (Roskilde)
The Viking Ship Museum overlooking the inlet of Roskilde Fjord was built in 1969 with the main purpose of exhibiting the five newly discovered Skuldelev ships. In the late 1990s, excavations for the shipyard expansion of the museum uncovered a further 9 ships from the Viking Age and early medieval period. It is the largest discovery of prehistoric ships in Northern Europe and includes the longest Viking warship ever found; the "Roskilde 6" at 36 metres. The excavations are not yet completed.
List of Empire ships (U–Z)
"Empire Viking III" was a 250 GRT whaler which was built by Smiths Dock Co Ltd, Middlesbrough. Completed in 1929 as "Vikingen III". Sold in 1938 to Hamburger Walfang-Kontor GmbH, Hamburg and renamed "Wiking 3". Requisitioned in 1939 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized by Royal Navy on 18 October 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT and renamed "Empire Viking III". Allocated to USSR by Tripartite Merchant Marine Commission at Berlin, 7 December 1945. Deployed to Southern Ocean on British account late November 1945. Handed over to USSR in Britain September 1946 and renamed "Slava X".
Sverre of Norway
In the sea battles of medieval Scandinavia, the side with the largest and highest ships would usually have an advantage, since this meant the crew could attack the enemy from above with projectiles and other weapons. Sverre built the largest ship afloat at the time, the "". Because of its great size, the seaworthiness of the "Mariasuda" was rather poor and it would only be useful within the narrow fjords. Either because of luck or good strategy such a situation would soon arise.
Viking ships
Viking ships were marine vessels of unique structure, built by the Vikings during the Viking Age.
Norddeutscher Lloyd
In 1897, with the commissioning of SS "Kaiser Wilhelm der Große", the NDL finally had a major ship for the North Atlantic. This was the largest and fastest ship in the world, and the company benefited from the reputation advantage of the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing, with an average speed of 22.3 knots. Between 1897 and 1907, the line followed with three further four-screw and four-funnel steamers of the Kaiser class, of 14,000–19,000 GT: the , the and the . With these the company offered a regular service across the Atlantic to its docks at Hoboken, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York. On June 30, 1900 Hoboken Docks fire over 300 persons were killed at the Hoboken docks.
SS Leviathan
SS "Vaterland", a 54,282 gross ton passenger liner, was built by Blohm & Voss at Hamburg, Germany, as the second of a trio of very large ships of "Imperator" class for the Hamburg-America Line's trans-Atlantic route. She was launched 3 April 1913 and was the largest passenger ship in the world upon her completion, superseding , but later being superseded in turn by the last ship of this class, , later the .
Vikings
There have been several archaeological finds of Viking ships of all sizes, providing knowledge of the craftsmanship that went into building them. There were many types of Viking ships, built for various uses; the best-known type is probably the longship. Longships were intended for warfare and exploration, designed for speed and agility, and were equipped with oars to complement the sail, making navigation possible independently of the wind. The longship had a long, narrow hull and shallow draught to facilitate landings and troop deployments in shallow water. Longships were used extensively by the Leidang, the Scandinavian defence fleets. The longship allowed the Norse to "go Viking", which might explain why this type of ship has become almost synonymous with the concept of Vikings.
SMS König Wilhelm
Laid down at the Thames Ironworks shipyard in London, England in 1865, the ship was originally ordered by the Ottoman Empire as the "Fatih". The ship was built to a design created by the British naval architect Edward Reed. Before her launch, the Prussian Navy purchased the ship on 6 February 1867 and initially renamed it "Wilhelm I". On 14 December 1867, the ship was renamed again, as "König Wilhelm". She was launched on 25 April 1868 and commissioned less than a year later, on 20 February 1869. The ship's first commander was "Kapitän zur See" Ludwig von Henk. The ship was the largest and most powerful vessel in the Prussian fleet, and served as its flagship. Indeed, "König Wilhelm" remained the largest German vessel until 1891. This was in part due to the fact that Germany laid down only one small ironclad between 1876 and 1888; the four s, launched in 1891 and 1892, were the first ships to surpass "König Wilhelm" in size.
MS Pearl Seaways
In response to challenge from the other Viking Line partner SF Line and Silja's owners, Rederi AB Slite ordered two new builds from Wärtsilä Turku shipyard. The first of these was to be called MS "Athena", and she was planned to replace the aging on the freight-dominant Naantali–Kapellskär service. The ship was designed by Per Dockson. The authorities of Kapellskär failed to modernise their harbour to accommodate such a large ship, and when delivered in April 1989 the ship (which at the time of delivery was the largest cruiseferry in the world) was set on cruise traffic between Stockholm and Mariehamn, replacing the aged MS "Apollo III". Additional public spaces, such as an "amusement park" and a disco were built on her cardeck. Part of the cardeck was also used as a parking space for cruise passengers who came to Stockholm with their own cars.
Volvo Viking
The Volvo Viking was a truck produced by Swedish automaker Volvo between 1953 and 1973.
Volvo introduced the L385 Viking in 1953. The truck had a payload capacity of up to 8 tonnes for the heaviest trailing axle versions. The Viking truck was very similar to the larger Titan model. For the first model years the Viking used the VDC motor from its predecessor L245, but it was soon replaced by the updated D67 engine.
Emma Mærsk
Emma Mærsk is the first container ship in the E-class of eight owned by the A. P. Moller-Maersk Group. When launched in 2006 she was the largest container ship ever built, and in 2010 she and her seven sister ships were among the longest container ships. Officially, she is able to carry around or 14,770 TEU depending on definition. In May 2010, her sister ship "Ebba Mærsk" set a record of in Tanger-Med, Tangiers.
Ship of the line
"Regalskeppet Vasa" sank in the Baltic in 1628 and was lost until 1956. She was then raised intact, in remarkably good condition, in 1961 and is presently on display at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, Sweden. At the time she was the largest Swedish warship ever built. Today the "Vasa" Museum is the most visited museum in Sweden.
Viking Line
The first new ship built for Viking Line since Slite's MS "Kalypso" in 1990, , had been ordered from Aker Finnyards in 2005, in response to growing competition from Tallink on the Helsinki–Tallinn route. The "Viking XPRS" eventually entered service for Viking in April 2008. A second new ship was ordered in January 2007, when Viking Line announced that they had placed an order for a ferry at the Spanish shipyard Astilleros de Sevilla. The project name for the ship, that would have replaced the on the Mariehamn–Kapellskär route, was "Viking ADCC". Her delivery was originally expected for March 2009, but after delivery of the ship had been delayed multiple times, on 8 February 2010 Viking Line decided to cancel the contract altogether.
Viking revival
The rediscovery of the Viking past began in Norway during the 19th century when Norway saw a rise in nationalism. Having been in a personal union with Denmark under the Danish king for 400 years and subsequently in the union between Sweden and Norway under the Swedish king, Norwegians started looking back to their Viking era kings and sagas. In 1867, the first Viking ship to be unearthed, the Tune ship, was excavated in Østfold, Norway. The ship provided new knowledge about the Vikings and their culture. The excavation of other ships and artifacts led to a higher consciousness about the Viking past in Norway. For example, the only complete Viking helmet ever to be found was also excavated in Norway.
Sinking of the RMS Titanic
At the time of her entry into service on 2 April 1912, Royal Mail Ship (RMS) "Titanic" was the second of three sister ships, and was the largest ship in the world. She and her sister, , were almost one and a half times the gross register tonnage of Cunard's and , the previous record holders, and were nearly longer. "Titanic" could carry 3,547 people in speed and comfort, and was built on a hitherto unprecedented scale. Her reciprocating engines were the largest that had ever been built, standing high and with cylinders in diameter requiring the burning of of coal per day.
Klingon starships
The "Negh'Var"-class warship is the largest and most heavily armed Klingon vessel seen in the "Star Trek" franchise. The class initially was designed by Rick Sternbach to appear as a Klingon attack cruiser for an alternate timeline in "", the series finale of "The Next Generation". Sternbach built the studio model for the vessel on top of the existing studio model for the "Vor'cha"-class attack cruiser. A slightly modified studio model was used in the "Deep Space Nine" episode "", in which the "Negh'Var"-class is properly introduced to the audience. A CGI version of the model was eventually produced for the "Voyager" series finale "", incorporating elements from the models used in both "All Good Things..." and "The Way of the Warrior". The "Negh'Var"-class is also used in the episodes "" and "The Emperor's New Cloak" as a flagship in the Mirror Universe; this version is meant to be far larger than the prime universe "Negh'Var"-class, to this end a 25-foot model of the underside of the vessel was created to dwarf the studio model of the USS "Defiant" in combat sequences. The studio model for the "Negh'Var"-class was sold in a 2007 auction for US$7,500.
SS Viking
SS "Viking" was a wooden-hulled sealing ship made famous by its role in the 1931 film "The Viking". During her use in the seal hunt in Newfoundland, the ship was commissioned by the film crew. During production, an explosion destroyed the ship, resulting in the largest loss of life of a film production crew in film history.
In 1881, "Viking" was built by the Nylands Shipyard at Christiania, Norway, the same location where another famous Newfoundland vessel, "Southern Cross", was constructed. "Viking" was a vessel of 310 gross tons and equipped with a auxiliary engine. She was launched in 1882 from the Nylands Shipyard.
Viking (ship)
Viking is a Viking ship replica. It is an exact replica of the Gokstad ship recovered from Gokstadhaugen, a Viking Era burial mound in Sandefjord, Norway in 1880. "Viking" was featured at the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893.
SS Royal William
SS "Royal William" was a Canadian side-wheel paddle steamship that is sometimes credited with achieving the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean to be made almost entirely under steam power, using sails only during periods of boiler maintenance, though the British-built Dutch-owned "Curaçao" crossed in 1827, and the sail-steam hybrid used some steam power when crossing in 1819. She was the largest passenger ship in the world from 1831 to 1837.
SS British Queen
British Queen was a British passenger liner that was the second steamship completed for the transatlantic route when she was commissioned in 1839. She was the largest passenger ship in the world from 1839 to 1840. She was named in honor of Queen Victoria and owned by the British and American Steam Navigation Company. "British Queen" would have been the first transatlantic steamship had she not been delayed by 18 months because of the liquidation of the firm originally contracted to build her engine.
Hawley, Minnesota
Hawley may be best known for its Viking ship, "Hjemkomst". The building of this ship began in November 1973 by Robert Asp, modeled on the Norwegian ship the "Gokstad", dating from about 950 A.D. The "Hjemkomst" sailed from Duluth, Minnesota to Bergen, Norway in 1982. The ship is now located at the Hjemkomst Center museum in nearby Moorhead.
Viking raid warfare and tactics
Expansion of Viking settlements in the 9th and 10th centuries was due to exploration of rivers. The ships used by these Norsemen were essential to this exploration and allowed expansion and colonization. The traditional Viking ship is believed to be a "Gokstad" ship. It was close to 28 meters long and five meters wide. These long narrow ships could accommodate 50–60 seamen who powered the ship by rowing. The ships were built from strong oak, and split with axes so the grain in between the ship's planks meshed together. Pine was also a material that was used to build ships. Typically, in western and northern Norway, Vikings would use pine to build their ships, but it would depend on the areas's resources. There was a relatively short mast that was used for gathering speed rather than steering, which was instead accomplished with a single rudder in the stern. These boats are known to draft close to a meter of water. Viking longships were built with speed and resilience in mind, which allowed Norse builders to craft strong yet elegant ships. This can also relate to early "hit-and-run" Viking raid tactics, which they needed fast ships to execute with. Later adaptations of these "long ships" were built with a deeper hull for transporting goods, but what they added in hull depth and durability they sacrificed in speed and mobility.
Royal Viking Line
Beginning in 1980, under the leadership of then CEO Torstein Hagen, each of the three ships was "stretched" to by adding a 93-foot prefabricated midships section at the A.G. Weser shipyard in Bremerhaven. This increased each ship's capacity by 200 passengers, and mainly included the addition of cabins. Aft of the observation lounge, a new lounge and nine penthouse suites with balconies, a cruise industry first, were added. The size of the main restaurant was also doubled and now occupied nearly half of one deck in order to maintain single-seating dining. "Royal Viking Star" was "stretched" in 1981, followed by "Royal Viking Sky" in 1982, and "Royal Viking Sea" in 1983.
Star Legend (ship)
The Construction of "Royal Viking Queen" began in 1990 by Schichau-Seebeckwerft in Bremerhaven, Germany. She was the last ship to be built for Royal Viking Line and the smallest. She was originally planned for Seabourn Cruise Line in 1990, was delayed due to investors' financial constraints and was ultimately purchased by Royal Viking Line. She was launched on May 1991, and was completed on February 1992. She was put into service for Kloster Cruise. She operated her sea trials and her maiden voyage began on February 11, 1992 and was finished on February 29, 1992. The ship operated on various crossings for Royal Viking Line, a Kloster subsidiary. During her service as "Royal Viking Queen" she was part of the world's leading cruise ships, consistently voted amongst the world's Top 10 cruise vessels by various publications.
In 1995, the vessel's name was changed to "Queen Odyssey" after she was assigned to Royal Cruise Line, another Kloster subsidiary. She remained in operation for Royal Cruise Line until January 1996, when she was sold to Seabourn and joined her sister ships.
RMS Titanic
RMS "Titanic" was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of 15 April 1912, after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. There were an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, and more than 1,500 died, making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. RMS "Titanic" was the largest ship afloat at the time she entered service and was the second of three s operated by the White Star Line. She was built by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. Thomas Andrews, chief naval architect of the shipyard at the time, died in the disaster.
Adler von Lübeck
Adler von Lübeck (German for "Eagle of Lübeck"), also called Der Große Adler or Lübscher Adler, was a 16th-century warship of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, Germany. "Adler von Lübeck" was one of the largest ships in the world at her time, being 78.30 m long overall and displacing 2–3,000 tons.
Sandefjord
Sandefjord has been inhabited for thousands of years. Excavations indicate that people have inhabited Sandefjord for around 3,000 years. Rock carvings at Haugen farm by Istrehågan in Jåberg are dated to 1,500-500 BCE. Haugen farm is home to Vestfold County's largest petroglyph site. The Vikings lived in Sandefjord and surrounding areas about 1,000 years ago, and numerous Viking artifacts and monuments can be found in Sandefjord. One of the most important remains from the Viking age was found at the grave site "Gokstadhaugen" (Gokstad Mound) in Sandefjord. The Gokstad ship was excavated by Nicolay Nicolaysen and is now in the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. The "Viking", an exact replica of the Gokstad ship, crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Bergen to be exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. A replica of Gokstad ship, called "Gaia", currently has Sandefjord as home port. Other known replicas include the "Munin", (a half scale replica) located in Vancouver, Canada.
Ship of the line
The largest sailing three-decker ship of the line ever built in the West was the French "Valmy", launched in 1847. She had right sides, which increased significantly the space available for upper batteries, but reduced the stability of the ship; wooden stabilisers were added under the waterline to address the issue. "Valmy" was thought to be the largest sort of sailing ship possible, as larger dimensions made the manoeuvre of riggings impractical with mere manpower. She participated in the Crimean War, and after her return to France later housed the French Naval Academy under the name "Borda" from 1864 to 1890.
List of Empire ships (U–Z)
"Empire Viking VIII" was a 381 GRT whaler which was built by Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau, Bremen. Completed in 1939 as "Wiking 8" for Hamburger Walfang-Kontor GmbH, Hamburg. Requisitioned in 1940 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized by Royal Navy on 29 October 1945 at Emden. To MoWT and renamed "Empire Viking VIII". Allocated to USSR by Tripartite Merchant Marine Commission at Berlin, 7 December 1945. Deployed to Southern Ocean on British account late November 1945. Handed over to USSR in Britain September 1946 and renamed "Slava III".
Viking Cruises
In 2000, Viking purchased KD River Cruises of Europe, which brought Viking's fleet total to 26, making it the largest river cruising fleet in the world. The company revamped the ships, aiming for its target demographic of older North Americans who wanted to see the world simply; the lack of frills like gyms and pools, and the standardization, also maximized the number of people the ships could accommodate and Viking's profit. The company also partnered that year with sales agents in the UK, and the US, and opened its own sales office in California. It hired its first marketing firm the next year, focusing on North America. The company expanded into China in 2004 with Yangtze River cruises. By 2007 it was operating 23 ships in Europe, Russia, and China. In 2009, Viking started to use ships with hybrid diesel-electric engines that the company said use an estimated 20% less fuel than conventional engines.
Vestfold
Vestfold is the county in Norway with the most traces from the Viking Age. Examples include the Oseberg- and Gokstad Burial Mounds. While the Oseberg Ship was discovered in Tønsberg, the Gokstad Ship was discovered in Sandefjord. The Gokstad Ship is Norway's largest preserved Viking ship. Both ships are now located at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. Additional burial mounds are found at Borre mound cemetery and Mølen, an UNESCO Global Geopark. Borre mound cemetery is home to Northern Europe's largest burial mound site from Viking Age.
SS Appomattox
The "Appomattox" (Official number 116682) was built in 1896 in West Bay City, Michigan by the shipyard owned by master shipbuilder and successful maritime entrepreneur James Davidson who was known for his innovative wooden hulled ships. She was the largest steam powered bulk carrier ever to sail on the Great Lakes. She was built for the Davidson Steamship Company which was also owned by Captain Davidson; she was also one of the last ships he built. At an overall length of the "Appomattox" was one of the largest wooden ships ever built. Her hull was between her perpendiculars. Her beam was wide, and her hull was deep. She had a gross register tonnage of 2643 tons, and a net register tonnage of 2082 tons. She was equipped with a 1.100 horsepower triple expansion steam engine which was built by the Frontier Iron Works Company of Detroit, Michigan. Her engine was fueled by two Scotch marine boilers that were built by the Wickes Brothers of Saginaw, Michigan. They measured by
Viking (rocket)
The Viking was roughly half the size, in terms of mass and power, of the V-2. Both were actively guided rockets, fueled with the same propellant (Ethyl alcohol and liquid oxygen), which were fed to a single large pump-fed engine by two turbine driven pumps. The Reaction Motors XLR10-RM-2 engine was the largest liquid-fueled rocket engine developed in the United States up to that time, producing (sea level) and (vacuum) of thrust. Isp was and respectively, with a mission time of 103s. As was also the case for the V-2, hydrogen peroxide was converted to steam to drive the turbopump that fed fuel and oxidizer into the engine. As its V-2 counterpart, it also was regeneratively cooled.
MV Oceanic Viking
The ship was built in 1996 for Norwegian shipping company Eidesvik Shipping AS as an offshore supply vessel and named "Viking Lady". The vessel is long and has a gross tonnage of over 9,000.
Dannebroge
"Dannebroge" was built in 1692 and she was the largest ship-of-the-line in the Dano-Norwegian navy at that time with her 84 cannons placed on two decks and a crew of 600 men. She was also the first ship in Denmark that was built according to a plan drawing.
List of Empire ships (U–Z)
"Empire Viking I" was a 250 GRT whaler which was built by Smiths Dock Co Ltd, Middlesbrough. Completed in 1929 as "Vikingen I". Sold in 1938 to Hamburger Walfang-Kontor GmbH, Hamburg and renamed "Wiking 1". Requisitioned in 1939 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized by Royal Navy on 18 October 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT and renamed "Empire Viking I". Allocated to USSR by Tripartite Merchant Marine Commission at Berlin, 7 December 1945. Deployed to Southern Ocean on British account late November 1945. Handed over to USSR in Britain September 1946 and renamed "Slava VIII".
HDMS Sophia Amalia
The Sophia Amalia was a ship of the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy named after Sophia Amalia, the wife of King Frederick III. The ship was built at Hovedøen in Christiania under the direction of English shipbuilder James Robbins and was launched in 1650. She was 51.8 meters long and at that time one of the largest naval vessels in the world. She was commissioned by King Christian IV specifically to surpass the British ship . The ship was manned by a crew of 680 and had an armament of 108 guns, surpassing "Sovereign of the Seas" by eight guns.
Kaiser-class ocean liners
At the close of the 19th century, competition on the North Atlantic was fierce. Transport to and from Europe was dominated by British shipping lines, namely the Cunard and the White Star Line. The largest liner ever built was the British . Between 1892 and 1893, Cunard Line had launched the sister ships and , the fastest ships on the sea. They were also the heaviest. Norddeutscher Lloyd were charged by Emperor Wilhelm II with building up Germany's maritime power to rival and surpass Britain's. When he saw White Star's in 1891, the ship had left a lasting impression on the emperor.
Sebbe Als
The longest sailing trip 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 5 days and 5 nights (120 hours). In the summer of 1972 "Sebbe Als" and her crew did the trip in 114 hours, and proved the veracity of the old saga.
Glendalough
Around 1042, oak timber from Glendalough was used to build the second longest (30 m) Viking longship ever recorded. A modern replica of that ship was built in 2004 and is currently located in Roskilde, Denmark.
MV China Star
MV "China Star" ("中华之星") is the world's largest ship with a SWATH design, and the only twin-hull cruise ship ever built. It has operated in Hong Kong as the gambling ship "China Star" for Asia Cruises. This 350-passenger all balcony luxury cruise ship was the largest SWATH ship in the world when it was built, displacing more than 20,000 tons. Originally known as the "Radisson Diamond", the ship was built for Diamond Cruise, a conglomerate of several Finnish banks and the UKL-based Carlson Companies (the parent company of Radisson Cruises and Hotels). The ship was built at the Finnish Rauma shipyard by STX Finland.
Odd Isaachsen Willoch
As part of the Royal Norwegian Navy's efforts to protect and defend Norway's neutrality in the Second World War "Norge" and "Eidsvold", the largest and most heavily armed Norwegian warships in service, had been based in Narvik. The 4,000 ton vessels and their commanders and crews were under orders to fire at any intruder, Narvik was under any and all circumstances to be defended by force. During the night of 8/9 April 1940 reports started coming in of German attacks further south in Norway, in the Oslofjord, at Bergen and at Trondheim. It was still, however, unclear of who would reach Narvik first, the Germans or the British. It was known to the Norwegian commanders that the Royal Navy operated with a large force just off Northern Norway and it was therefore anticipated that these naval forces might attack Narvik to destroy the numerous German cargo ships in the port. In all there were 25 civilian ships of various nationalities in the port of Narvik in the morning of 9 April 1940. For several weeks the Norwegian coastal defence ships had been preparing for war, carrying out intense gunnery exercises with live ammunition. The situation had been steadily become more and more tense since the Altmark Incident on 16 February 1940.
Viking (ship)
In 1925, to publicize and promote the Norse-American Centennial in St. Paul, Minnesota, a set of United States Postage Stamps were issued. The event honored the 100th anniversary of Norwegian immigration to the United States. One of the stamps featured a picture of "Viking" based upon a photograph taken in 1893. The engravers included the American flag waving from the bow. 
In 1994, "Viking" was moved from its location to make room for expansion of the Lincoln Park Zoo. With funds raised from the Scandinavian-American community, the ship was moved into a warehouse in West Chicago, and then to Good Templar Park in Geneva, Illinois, and secured under a canopy. The head and tail of "Viking" were placed in storage at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. In 2007, Landmarks Illinois listed the ship as one of the 10 most endangered landmarks in Illinois. In 2008, Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley was recognized by Landmarks Illinois and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation for fund raising efforts resulting in stabilization of the ship. That same year, funds for preservation were awarded by American Express in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
SS Arctic disaster
"Arctic" was the largest and most celebrated of the four Collins steamers that had operated a regular transatlantic passenger and mail carrying service since 1850. After the collision "Arctic"s captain, James Luce, first attempted to assist the stricken "Vesta", which he believed was in imminent danger of sinking. When he discovered that his own ship had been seriously holed below the waterline, he decided to run her towards the nearest land, in the hopes of reaching safety. His plan failed; the engines stopped when the ship was still a considerable distance from land. "Arctic"s lifeboat capacity was sufficient for less than half of those on board; when Luce ordered these launched, a breakdown in order and discipline meant that most places in the boats were taken by members of the crew or the more able-bodied male passengers. The rest struggled to build makeshift rafts, but most were unable to leave the ship, and went down with her when she sank, four hours after the collision. "Vesta", which initially appeared to have sustained mortal damage, was kept afloat by her watertight bulkheads, and managed to limp into harbor at St. John's, Newfoundland.
Tønsberg
Tønsberg is the site of Oseberg Mound, a Viking era burial mound. The Oseberg Ship was found in the Oseberg burial mound in 1904. This Viking era longship is now in the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. Archaeological excavations in 1904 uncovered history's largest and richest example of craftsmanship from the Viking Age. In addition to the Oseberg Ship, Oseberghaugen contained the Oseberg carriage, five beautifully carved bed-posts shaped like animal heads, four sledges, beds, chests, weaving-frames, household utensils and much more. Scientific examinations in 1992 now date the burial to 834 AD, and indicate a probability that it was Queen Alvhild, the first wife of King Gudrød, who was buried here.
Passenger ship
For a long time, cruise ships were smaller than the old ocean liners had been, but in the 1980s, this changed when Knut Kloster, the director of Norwegian Caribbean Lines, bought one of the biggest surviving liners, the SS "France", and transformed her into a huge cruise ship, which he renamed the SS "Norway". Her success demonstrated that there was a market for large cruise ships. Successive classes of ever-larger ships were ordered, until the Cunard liner "Queen Elizabeth" was finally dethroned from her 56-year reign as the largest passenger ship ever built (a dethronement that led to numerous further dethronements from the same position).
Royal Viking Line
The ships were all built by Wärtsilä Helsinki New Shipyard, Finland, and were each approximately and nearly identical in appearance, with a tall superstructure and a single, scooped funnel. However, the "Star" was two feet shorter (581 feet), and her interior arrangement differed slightly from her two fleet-mates. Each ship featured a double-height theatre occupying an interior space on the two lowest passenger decks; however, on the "Star" the space just forward of the theatre on the higher of these decks was occupied by a chapel, a feature not found on either of her fleet-mates, nor any of the Scandinavian-built cruise ships of that generation. Other differences included the placement of small lounges and facilities such as the library.
Hringhorni
In Norse mythology, Hringhorni (Old Norse "ship with a circle on the stem") is the name of the ship of the god Baldr, described as the "greatest of all ships".
Sandefjord
The 9th century Gokstad Ship was discovered in Sandefjord during an 1880 excavation led by Nicolay Nicolaysen. The ship itself, which is now at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, was built around year 910. It is the largest preserved Viking ship in Norway. A Viking chieftain was buried at the Gokstad Mound (Gokstadhaugen), along with the 23.5-meter Gokstad Ship. Interpretive signs have been put up at the Gokstad Mound on Helgerødveien.
Viking ships
Several original Viking ships have been found through the ages, but only a few have been relatively intact and subsequently preserved. The most notable of these few ships includes:
Viking ships
The Viking kingdoms developed into coastal towns and forts, all of which were deeply dependent on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea for survival and development. Control of the waterways was of critical importance, and consequently advanced war ships were in high demand. But in fact, because of their overwhelming importance, ships became a mainstay of the Viking religion, as they evolved into symbols of power and prowess. Throughout the first millennium, respectable Viking chieftains and their relatives were commonly buried with an intact, luxurious ship to transport them in the afterlife. Furthermore, the Hedeby coins, among the earliest known Danish currency, have ships as emblems, showing the importance of naval vessels in the area. Through such cultural and practical significance, the Viking ship progressed into the most powerful, advanced naval vessel in Viking Age Europe.
Vikings
The Vikings built many unique types of watercraft, often used for more peaceful tasks. The "knarr" was a dedicated merchant vessel designed to carry cargo in bulk. It had a broader hull, deeper draught, and a small number of oars (used primarily to manoeuvre in harbours and similar situations). One Viking innovation was the 'beitass', a spar mounted to the sail that allowed their ships to sail effectively against the wind. It was common for seafaring Viking ships to tow or carry a smaller boat to transfer crews and cargo from the ship to shore.
Jørgen Christian Knudsen
Knudsen was a notable ship-owner, running the company J. C. & G. Knudsen with his brother Gunnar. He was also a shipbuilder and factory owner. The partnership with his brother ended in 1889, and Knudsen ran his own company. The company was passed down to his sons Finn and Christen, and split between them in 1923. One of Knudsen's best known ships was the "Skomvær", which was for a time the largest sailing ship in Norway.
Jørgen Thormøhlen
Thormøhlen became the largest ship owner in Norway, traded fish from Northern Norway and was involved in a number of other businesses. He made his fortune through international trade, shipping and industry. He also developed an industrial site located at Møhlenpris. The property included a salt refinery, packing sheds, deep-water harbor, and workers' homes. In 1682, King Christian V of Denmark proclaimed him trade director ("kommersedirektør"). in 1695, he received royal permission to issue banknotes supported by a loan from King Christian V. From 1685-1693, Kronstad Hovedgård manor house belonged to Jørgen Thormøhlen. It is located in the borough of Årstad on the south shore of the bay of Store Lungegårdsvannet south of Bergen. However heavy losses on colonial trade and the Great Fire of 1702 at Bryggen created difficulties and he went bankrupt.
First Olsen Tankers
First Olsen Tankers owned the largest ultra large crude carrier ever built, "Knock Nevis", built in 1979 by Sumitomo Heavy Industries that operated as a floating storage and offloading unit until she was scrapped in 2010.
Gudrun Mærsk
The container vessel "Gudrun Maersk" was constructed at the Odense Steel shipyard in Denmark and launched in 2005. At the time it was the world's largest container vessel, a title it lost in 2006 to the "Emma Maersk". The "Gudrun Maersk" has a capacity of 8,500 TEU. The length of the vessel is and the beam is . 
The vessel's deadweight is 115,700 metric tons with a gross tonnage of 97,933.
The maximum power of the Sulzer 12RT-flex96C low-speed common rail main engine of "Gudrun Maersk" is 68,640 kW (93,211 bhp)at 102 rpm.
Gudrun and her 5 sister ships use exhaust heat recovery and cogeneration, producing 6 MWe and reducing the need for diesel generators.
Longship
The earliest mentioned Drakkar was possibly the ship of unstated size owned by Harald Fairhair in the tenth century. The first drakkar ship whose size was mentioned in the source was Olav Tryggvason's thirty-room Tranin, built at Nidaros in apex. 995. By far the most famous in this period was his later ship the Ormrinn Langi ('Long Serpent') of thirty-four rooms, built over the winter of 999 to 1000. No true dragon ship, as defined by the sagas, has been found by archaeological excavation.
Hilmar Reksten
After the war he kept expanding his business, and in 1974 the company had ships carrying . At this point Reksten’s was the third largest shipping company in Norway - second only to Bergesen and Jahre - and thereby also one of the largest in the world. Reksten's business principle was simple: He refused long-term contracts, presuming that at intervals, political crises would cause an increase in freight rates. For a long period he was proved right. Both when the Korean war broke out in 1950 and the Suez crisis in 1956, Reksten profited. The fact that he, between each crisis, was on the verge of bankruptcy, did not in the least alter his conviction. His "Norwegian period" began in 1963 when he placed an order of seven large tank ships, worth 450 million kroner, with Akers mekaniske verksted (= Aker's mechanical workshop), 80% financed by his bank. It was even uncertain if the ships would find commissions when built. "But I did not have to show a bank guarantee," he boasted. "Because I refused to do so." He stood ready with 14 super tankers when the Suez Canal was closed in 1967. In 1968 Reksten placed an order for yet another seven supertankers from Aker, the largest ships the world had seen so far. He contacted other Norwegian shipping magnates, suggesting that they merge into one giant shipping firm. The others withdrew from the plan though, realizing that Reksten intended to dominate the colossus.
Andreas Bjørn
In 1735, Andreas Bjørn obtained permission from King Christian VI to reclaim an area north of Christianshavn where he established a shipyard. It became the largest shipyard in Denmark of its day, launching 50 ships until Bjørn's death 1750, including the 44-canon naval ship "Copenhagen Castle" ("Kjøbenhavns Slot").
Battle of the Atlantic
Before the war, Norway's Merchant Navy was the fourth largest in the world and its ships were the most modern. The Germans and the Allies both recognised the great importance of Norway's merchant fleet, and following Germany's invasion of Norway in April 1940, both sides sought control of the ships. Norwegian Nazi puppet leader Vidkun Quisling ordered all Norwegian ships to sail to German, Italian or neutral ports. He was ignored. All Norwegian ships decided to serve at the disposal of the Allies. The vessels of the Norwegian Merchant Navy were placed under the control of the government-run Nortraship, with headquarters in London and New York.
History of the oil tanker
"Seawise Giant" was renamed "Happy Giant" in 1989, "Jahre Viking" in 1991. From 1979 to 2004 she was owned by Loki Stream, at which point she was bought by First Olsen Tankers, renamed "Knock Nevis" and converted into a permanently moored storage tanker. The Batillus class supertankers are the biggest ships ever constructed by gross tonnage.
Viking (barque)
In 1929 she was registered under the Finnish flag, and joined the Åland-based Erikson fleet of tall ships. She was part of Erikson's fleet until 1950. Viking was about to be scrapped in the late 1940s, but was eventually saved by the Swedish government in 1950 and moored in Gothenburg. A suspension bridge built in the late 1960s has effectively locked the ship in, since the masts are taller than the bridge. It is unlikely she ever will sail the open seas again.
Seawise Giant
Seawise Giant, later Happy Giant, Jahre Viking, Knock Nevis, Oppama, and Mont, was a ULCC supertanker that was the longest ship ever, built by Sumitomo Heavy Industries in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan. She possessed the greatest deadweight tonnage ever recorded. Fully loaded, her displacement was , the heaviest ship of any kind, and with a laden draft of , she was incapable of navigating the English Channel, the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal. Overall, she is generally considered the largest ship ever built. She was sunk during the Iran–Iraq War, but was later salvaged and restored to service. She was last used as a floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) moored off the coast of Qatar in the Persian Gulf at the Al Shaheen Oil Field.
Sandefjord
The Gokstad Ship, Norway's largest preserved Viking ship, was discovered during an excavation at Gokstad Mound in 1880. The Vikings first settled here due to its speedy route from Sandefjord and along the coast. Viking settlements and grave sites dating to the 1400s have been discovered in Sandefjord.
MS Mariella
MS "Mariella" is a cruiseferry delivered in 1985 to SF Line and has since operated as a part of Viking Line. She was built by the Wärtsilä Perno Shipyard in Turku, Finland. Her sister ship is the "Olympia" (now MS SPL Princess Anastasia). "Mariella" was the world's largest cruiseferry from 1985 until 1989, when the accolade passed on to her Viking Line fleetmate MS "Athena".
Norwegian Epic
The "Norwegian Epic" surpasses the "Breakaway"-class as NCL's second largest ship class. The "Breakaway Plus"-class is the largest in the NCL fleet so the . "Norwegian Epic" represents the "third generation" of Freestyle cruising vessels and its size allows NCL to have ships in the "mega-class" of their competitors at Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Lines, though still 32% smaller by gross tonnage than Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, the world's largest passenger vessels.
Viking ships
One Viking custom was to bury dead chieftains in their ships. The dead man's body would be carefully prepared and dressed in his best clothes. After this preparation, the body would be transported to the burial-place in a wagon drawn by horses. The man would be placed on his ship, along with many of his most prized possessions. The chieftain's favorite horses, often a faithful hunting-dog and occasionally thralls and households, were sacrificially killed and also buried with the deceased. The Vikings firmly believed that the dead man would then sail to the after-life. An example of a Viking ship burial was excavated near the Danish village of Ladby and can be found on display here.
Burial of ships is an ancient tradition in Scandinavia, stretching back to at least the Nordic Iron Age, as evidenced by the Hjortspring boat (400–300 BC) or the Nydam boats (200–450 AD), for example. Ships and bodies of water have held a major spiritual importance in the Norse cultures since at least the Nordic Bronze Age.
SS Great Western
SS "Great Western" of 1838, was an oak-hulled paddle-wheel steamship, the first steamship purpose-built for crossing the Atlantic, and the initial unit of the Great Western Steamship Company. She was the largest passenger ship in the world from 1837 to 1839. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, "Great Western" proved satisfactory in service and was the model for all successful wooden Atlantic paddle-steamers. She was capable of making record Blue Riband voyages as late as 1843. "Great Western" worked to New York for 8 years until her owners went out of business. She was sold to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company and was scrapped in 1856 after serving as a troop ship during the Crimean War.