Hjemkomst crew reunites 30 years later

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) -- Thirty years after the Viking replica ship Hjemkomst (YEM'-komst) completed a journey from Duluth to Norway, surviving crew members gathered in Moorhead to commemorate the voyage.

Crew members and relatives paid tribute to Robert Asp, the middle school teacher whose dream they helped realize. They gathered Saturday at the Hjemkomst Center museum, the ship's namesake and resting place near where it was built.

The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead reports crew members agreed the voyage never would have succeeded without guidance from Erik Rudstrom, a sailor from Norway who was the Hjemkomst skipper. They say he suggested several critical design changes while the ship was being tested on Lake Superior that made it more seaworthy.

The ship survived a fierce Atlantic storm and arrived in Bergen, Norway, on July 19, 1982.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.