This is David. A boat on the hard looks the same around the world. To prove it here are some pictures taken a couple of weeks ago in France where Glory is resting for her big adventure to North America. She is really an excellent boat for this trip. Once she gets over here and gets some TLC this boat is going to shine.

Notice the retractable boards, rudders and propeller. This is so Glory can ride up on the and nothing gets sheared off.

This is David. I wanted to get a picture of the “Viking” on the site. It is a beautiful boat. I recommend anyone visit it. The volunteers there are great host.

This is David. The holidays were very busy and there is a lot to update everyone on. I went to visit the “Viking” in Saint Charles, Illinois just before the end of the year. It is a full-size long boat that was built in Norway in the 1890s and sailed to the World Exposition in Chicago. The crew went straight across the Atlantic. And that was the test voyage. It was the first long boat built based on the long boats that were excavated in Norway. I will put some pictures up as I was hosted by some of the volunteers and spent a great Saturday morning talking about Viking boats.

This is David. We tracked our lineage back and below is how we connect to Leif and Erik. Back in 950 Úlfur and Björg married and had Valgerður and Jörundur. Jörundur had a daughter and she married Erik and is the Mother of Leif. My family descends from Valgerður. It’s probably fair to say that there aren’t many peope in Iceland that I can’t call a distant cousin!!!

Jóhann Straumfjord Sigurdson 1912 – 1985 (Johann’s Dad and my Afi)

Ástríður Straumfjord Sigurdson 1879 – 1966

Jóhann Elíasson Straumfjord

Elías Sigurðsson 1806 – 1872

Sigurður Sigurðsson 1759 – 1846

Solveig Sigurðardóttir 1732 – 1791

Sigríður Magnúsdóttir 1691 – 1762

Magnús Benediktsson 1657 – 1730

Benedikt Pálsson 1608 – 1664

Páll Guðbrandsson 1573 – 1621

Guðbrandur Þorláksson 1541 – 1627

Helga Jónsdóttir 1511 – 1600

Jón Sigmundsson 1455 – 1520

Sólveig Þorleifsdóttir 1415 – 1479

Kristín Björnsdóttir 1374 – 1468

Björn ‘Jórsalafari’ Einarsson 1350 – 1415

Einar Eiríksson 1320 – 1382

Eiríkur Sveinbjarnarson 1277 – 1342

Sveinbjörn Sigmundsson 1235 – 1290

Herdís Hrafnsdóttir 1200

Hrafn Sveinbjarnarson 1160 – 1213

Sveinbjörn Bárðarson 1125

Bárður ‘svarti’ Atlason 1050

Atli Höskuldsson 1015

Höskuldur Atlason 980

Atli Högnason 945

Leifur ‘heppni’ Eiríksson 940 -1020

Hogni ‘heppni’ Geirþjófsson 910

Þjóðhildur Jörundardóttir 900

Valgerður Úlfsdóttir 870

Jörundur Úlfsson 870

Úlfur ‘skjálgi’ Högnason 845

Björg Eyvindardóttir

This is David. I was talking to my mother today and she gave me my connection back to Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir and Thorfinn Karlsefni. Guðríður was the sister-in-law of Leif the Lucky and went on the trip to Vinland where she gave birth to her son Snorri. What’s interesting is that after she came back from North America she did a pilgrimage to Rome, met the Pope and discussed her journeys. I bet you the Pope took notes. There is a great book I read recently by Nancy Marie Brown called “The Far Traveller. Voyages of a Viking Woman”. It goes through the story of her adventures.

Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir ca 980 (she
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Þorbjörn Þorfinnsson ca 1025
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Steinunn Bjarnardóttir ca 1075
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Helga Þorsteinsdóttir ca 1110
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Höskuldur Hafliðason ca 1160
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Sighvatur Höskuldsson ca 1200
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Sigurður Sighvatsson ca 1230
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Vilborg Sigurðardóttir ca 1270-1343
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Einar Eiríksson ca 1320-1383
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Björn Einarsson (Björn “Jórsalafari”) ca 1355-1415
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Kristín Björnsdóttir (Vatnsfjarðar-Kristín) ca 1374-1458
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Sólveig Þorleifsdóttir ca 1415-1479
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Jón Sigmundsson ca 1457-1520
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Helga Jónsdóttir ca 1511-ca 1600
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Guðbrandur Þorláksson 1541-1627
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Páll Guðbrandsson 1573-1621
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Benedikt Pálsson ca 1608-1664
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Magnús Benediktsson 1657-1730
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Sigríður Magnúsdóttir 1691
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Sólveig Sigurðardóttir 1732-1791
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Sigurður Sigurðsson 1760-1846
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Elías Sigurðsson 1806-1872
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Jóhann Elíasson Straumfjörð 1840-1914
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Ástríður Jóhannsdóttir Straumfjörð 1879
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Jóhann Straumfjörð Sigurðsson 1912-1985
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Linda Fay Sigurðsson Collette 1945 (and this level is also Johann as he’s my uncle)

and then next in line would be me

This is David. We’ve got a music muse. I first heard the music of Stan Rogers from an old sea salt (Chuck Manning) in Racine, Wisconsin several years ago while sitting indoors looking out at the waters of Lake Michigan in January. It was at one of those events that sailors have in the winter where you tell the tall tales from last season’s sailing adventures On came a song called “Barrett’s Privateers” from a guy called Stan Rogers. I looked Stan up and it turns out he was Canadian. Next song I heard was “Northwest Passage”. It made me itch to get my boat off the hard. (Tartan 27, Hardtack)

Fast forward to mid-November when Johann and I were driving to the Stefansson monument and Amundsen exhibit. On he turns “Northwest Passage”. Okay, so we may not go west over to Alaska but the theme of adventure resonated with us and his story telling continues to inspire use. Stan is coming with us (in spirit only as he didn’t make it out of a flash fire in an airliner in 1983 two years after he recorded this song).

Hope the expedition crew likes Stan Rogers!!!

This is Johann. I just finished talking with Guy Maddin and he’s agreed to be our expert adviser on media. Between the history of the Northern people and lands and the experiences and events of the actual expedition there is a lot of story telling to do. And Guy is an incredible story teller.

Guy not only grew up in Manitoba but he has deep Norse roots as his family immigrated from Iceland. We really appreciate his support. He is an incredibly busy person and told me he is going to film 100 short films in 100 days spread out over the next 365 days (which makes me tired thinking about it). Maybe you’ll see the Fara Heim expedition turned into a short film. Between having a crew on a sailboat for 4 months, traveling across the Arctic at 7 knots and the search for Norse presence I bet there is going to be some crazy events and experiences that will make for a great story!!

Thanks again Guy.

This is David. Great news for Fara Heim. Johann has been talking to an experienced explorer named Capt. Norm Baker and he has joined our team as an Adviser. He did several trips with Thor Heyerdahl to test the hypothesis that it was possible to sail across the Atlantic from Africa to South America. His experience in expedition planning and execution is a great asset and we’re looking forward to working with him. He has a widely varied background and I was pretty amazed to see that we’re both Engineers, both pilots and both attracted to adventure.

Thanks to Capt. Baker for joining the team.

We’ve been busy over the last three weeks. First, Johann and I went to the Roald Amundsen exhibit in Winnipeg over the U.S.. Thanksgiving weekend The poster exhibit was housed at the University of Manitoba’s Icelandic Collection.

Then we drove up to the place where Vilhjalmur Stefansson lived in Arnes, Manitoba which is just north of Gimli on Lake Winnipeg. The Canadian Government erected a monument to Vilhjalmur.