Mythical Ship Sets Sail

ANCHOR:
Here's a story about some people who love ancient Greek history. Dozens of amateur sailors are reliving the story of Jason and the Argonauts. They built a boat like Jason would've sailed in and left from the historical figure's hometown. Here's more.

STORY:
This motley crew of modern Greeks are embarking on an ancient Greek adventure. For the next months they will become the Argonauts, the legendary warriors led by Jason to retrieve a golden fleece.

And they will sail on an exact replica of the Argonauts ship, the Argo, built with the same handmade tools and primitive materials. The warriors used of wood, rope and glue.

The plan was to sail the Argo from this port town of Volos just as the Argonauts did to modern day Georgia where the golden fleece lay, but Turkish authorities did not give the crew permission to sail along their shores, so instead, the crew will sail the same 1200 nautical miles but through the Adriatic sea, which was part of Jason's return journey from Georgia back to Volos.

The Argonauts faced angry mythological gods and creatures on their journey, but nowadays the perils are different. Rough seas and exhaustion are more of a concern for these volunteers, none of which are professional rowers, even though they have been training for a year and a half.

[Peter Buchenstein, Modern Argonaut]:
"This is something I would like to do, I would like to see what I can (do) at my age, perhaps it's the last time I can make such a thing."

These amateur sailors will have to row for 10-15 hours a day, stopping only at night to eat and sleep on an accompanying ship, where there will be a medical team, and 25 backup rowers, because this group are not warriors like the Argonauts, and there is no motor on this vessel.

It took two painstaking years to build the Argo. Wooden pegs, glue and ropes hold it together, just as in ancient times. An entire tree was bent into the hull.

In ancient times these ships were considered to be quite durable, and the builders of this Argo, believe the ship will endure more than the crew.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ntd
• mythical
• ship
• greek
• history
• sailors
• jason
• and
• argonauts

[tubermier]

the Toronto Argonauts were asked to be the crew and the quarterback is the captain. Too many men were drowned when the captain told them to go long, go long. So they had to quit rowning and get a motor to finish the voyage, which was really to retrieve the "GOLDEN PIGSKIN"

[BaganJermal]

Respect!