A longship is being built in an emblematic place in Toulouse
Brave the waters of the Atlantic. This is the objective of Toulouse collective batar (boat in Icelandic) who will undertake the construction of his own longship. “We had already built two boats with smaller dimensions. Thanks to our experience, we plan to repeat the project in order to develop the fastest drakkar in the world“, enthuses Alex Arnaud, member of the Bátar association, interviewed by The Independent Opinion.
Construction in an emblematic place in Toulouse
This new Drakkar will be located right in the center of Toulouse, next to the Pont des Demoiselles, on the site of the Dry docks. “This place just made sense,” says Alex Arnaud. It is indeed an emblematic and historic place in Toulouse. The Cales de Radoub were built in 1840.
It is a place that allows the construction and renovation of the boats that sailed on the Canal du Midi. This is still the case today, boats are still being repaired on these holds. Building their drakkar in these places is therefore very symbolic for the Bátar association”, says the Toulousain.
The collective, which has 8 active members, is not at its first attempt. They have in the past incorporated two other ships, with minimum dimensions. Bátar 1 was 6 meters long. The second, currently used by the crew, is 12m long and 2m50 wide. Last summer, the collective also offered trips on the Garonne aboard this boat, where Toulouse residents could row and slip into the skin of Vikings. The future Drakkar will do 28 m long and 6 m wide, and will be wearinga sail of 187 m².
The boat looks like a very big boat, so in terms of construction, the ship is quite simple to make. We are a team of engineers at the base, the technical challenge was interesting to take up. With the construction of the second boat, which was already 12 meters long, we perfected our techniques. We will apply the same on the third”, proudly says Alex Arnaud.
For the record, the association has recovered plans that Scandinavian museums have made from wrecks fished out of their fjords. After obtaining the plans, the team of engineers redid a 3D design of the latter by adding modern construction techniques. “We start from plans of boats which have already been built and which have already sailed. We redo them in our own way, with modern designs and materials” specifies the Toulousain.
Toulouse residents invited to participate in the construction
To erect this third drakkar, the Bátar association invites Toulouse residents to lend a hand. “It’s open to everyone,” exclaims Alex Arnaud. On the website collective, a registration form is available. All you have to do is fill in your skills, background and describe what you want to do on the site. “We are open to any profile, so it is important to specify what the person is willing to do. For example, if the person is manual, if they want to help more on the visual side by taking photos and videos or even if they she wants to feed the team during the construction sessions”, explains the Toulousain.
To date, more than 200 people have completed this form. According to the tasks carried out on the weekends, the members of the collective contact the subscribers, via a private messaging group, and indicate their needs and the number of people expected. “People line up on slots and help us on specific time slots,” explains Alex Arnaud. For the first two boats, a hundred people had volunteered.
According to the estimates of the collective, the boat will be integrated in the space of a year and a half, and will consist of pines, chestnuts and massive oaks. However, the current context, particularly linked to the war in Ukraine, could delay the deadline.
We mainly use wood from Ukraine and Russia, with the war, we risk encountering supply difficulties”, worries the Toulousain.
The Bátar, had access to the site of the Dry docks, a month ago. To date, the collective is working on the design part of the boat and is preparing to tackle the financing part of the project, starting by looking for sponsors.
Train to cross the Atlantic
The people of Toulouse plan to set sail in May 2024, to reach New York from Toulouse. A journey of a month and a half, aboard the drakkar integrated by their care. Before setting out to storm the Atlantic, the Bátar must undergo designated training to anticipate and react to the vagaries of the ocean.
To prepare for the next expedition, we intend to sail as much as possible. With the boat we currently have (the second drakkar) we are sailing on the Mediterranean. At the same time, we go on expeditions to Scandinavia every year. Before, we have the chance to sail on a 20 m long boat. We learn with a Scandinavian team to maneuver, just to know how to use a big boat” tells us Alex Arnaud.
Once the new drakkar has been integrated, the people of Toulouse will crisscross the Mediterranean for several weeks, in order to finalize their training and learn how to use their own boat. “Each ship is different”, underlines the member of the association and specifies: “We are trained to know who will do what at what time, who will be at what position, etc.”
The team also intends to use the knowledge acquired during previous expeditions:
We realize every year that we are improving. We break our speed and distance record on each expedition. We are more and more comfortable”, welcomes the Toulousain.
While waiting for the spring of 2024, theassociation Batar consider continuing their trip on the Garonne to Toulouse when the fine weather arrives. “It’s a nice initiative, curious people get on board with us. People of all ages and from all walks of life then find themselves rowing together, in a good atmosphere.”