Military veterans complete Stormbird Viking longboat

Military veterans have completed a 30ft replica Viking longboat in a long-running project which boosts their mental health.

Over the years, more than 100 former servicemen and women have helped to build Stormbird from an oak which was felled on D-Day in 2018.

They have honed the traditional skills of wood-turning, as well as metalwork and other decorations to complete the project which is based in Darlington, County Durham.

Bob Marshall (left) and Colin Laycock in their workshop in Darlington (Owen Humphreys/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Owen Humphreys

Bob Marshall, chief executive of The Viking Boat Company, said the time and concentration required from veterans who have joined the build has helped with their mental health.

Countless volunteer hours have been spent crafting the wood to make the replica which is based on a real, preserved Viking craft which was recovered in Denmark in the 1970s.

Mr Marshall, who formerly served in the Royal Signal Corps, said: “The boat is a wonderful thing and it’s a beautiful piece of woodwork.

“The project overall is not about making a Viking boat, it’s about helping people to cope with the stress and trauma they have been through and putting it into a perspective that they can manage.”

Bob Marshall (right) and Colin Laycock working on the replica Viking longboat (Owen Humphreys/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Owen Humphreys

The team are putting the finishing touches on the boat – which would have been used by Vikings to explore up rivers – and it will be put on the water when weather conditions improve later this year.

First, the boat will be shown off at the Jorvik Viking Festival in York between February 17 and 22, where she will be positioned on Parliament Street.

Members of the public will be able to meet the Viking Boat Company team and find out more about the project to support veterans.

To support the work of the Viking Boat Company visit https://planesailing.org/