MORNINGTON pier was the focus of the town’s attention on Saturday as it provided a safe berth for vessels from the past.
Tied to the pier was the 27-metre Enterprize, a replica of the sailing ship used to bring European settlers from Tasmania to found the city of Melbourne in 1835.
Unfortunately, offshore winds prevented the volunteer-crewed schooner from offering pleasure cruises that would provide insight into life aboard a 19th-century sailing ship.
However, the attention of visitors to the pier was diverted as a boat from a completely different era was craned into the water to secure a mooring nearby.
The launch of the 14.8 metre long, 3.4 metre wide Mjoiner, a replica of a Viking trading ship, was a dream come true for Asbjorn Pedersen, of Mornington.
Started in February 2020, Pedersen attributes his fascination with the square rigged ships to the “Viking blood running through my heart” (“Modern day Vikings set for epic voyage” The News 31/12/22).
Pedersen was born on Bornholm, a small Danish island in the Baltic Sea, and attributes his fascination with the square rigged ships to the “Viking blood running through my heart”.
The Viking ship was later taken to the marina at Martha Cove, Safety Beach.
First published in the Mornington News – 10 January 2023
