Heydenwall Boat Crew (HBC)

The Heydenwall Boat Crew is a group of people dedicated to the portrayal of historical seafaring. The goal is to be a group that realizes the representation and sailing of historical ships in the event context of craft, trade and combat. Specifically, this includes the following main pillars: care of ship and ship material, sailing and special maneuvers, historical representations as well as demonstration and show. It is clear that each of these pillars requires special skills and effort, especially in terms of time. All of this together would be a full-time job that none of us can do. This association should enable us to contribute to a part that is of interest to us and thus support each other in such a way that together we create a coherent overall picture. All of this requires active commitment, but should not be overburdened or unrewarded. Anyone who is willing to actively support at least three of the pillars can become part of the crew. Anyone who decides to do so and makes it known will receive a Haithabu Anchor Nr. 8 from the group in recognition. Regular events are: Two house revivals with sailing exercises, Haithabu Easter and summer market. We are involved in the Hedeby boat group and actively support the http://square-sailer.eu network.

A boat without care will one day only sail in one direction - downwards. A boat wants and needs to be looked after. This is not an evil to be avoided, but the boat carries us and we want to keep it in the best possible condition. Wooden boats are taken out of the water for the winter and stored. In spring, they are put back in the water. In between, the boat is particularly well looked after: a new coat of pitch, rope and sails are checked, repairs …

Boating is one thing, mastering the boat artfully and effectively is another. We want to set sail rowing and sailing, transporting, trading, fencing, landing - with precision, elegance or roughness. All of this requires practice to acquire the skill and stamina to act together as a group. Likewise, the increased commitment of some is required to make the management of a boat possible. A trip requires at least two experienced people who can confidently master and lead all the basic tasks required for a trip. This includes everything from the names of the individual parts of a boat, all the essential knots, the basic maneuvers and the handling of the associated basic commands.

This is about being a research community and craft community and supporting each other and others who don't even care about this topic, having a good representation as well as knowing the essential information about what is being represented.

We will not be able to fulfill all of the objectives formulated here, but we will try to keep these aspects in mind. As always, individuals will specialize in certain aspects and, as always, we will support each other.\

The primary goal is to recognize the surface of all aspects more and more and to create a good overall framework that reflects the personal relationships and avoids misrepresentations and distortions. From this basis, individual aspects are then substantiated, emphasized and placed in the foreground. The demands on the presentation increase with the individual sections. The basis is shipping, followed by trade, then battle and perhaps, after much research, aspects of slavery. However, the latter is a very long-term goal that must be well prepared due to the sensitivity of the subject.

The aim is to depict harbor life, with everything that is necessary for seafaring. In concrete terms, this means showing the sailing of a ship as a ship's crew. At the same time, however, the focus is on the entirety of this process, not just moving a ship, but also with all aspects of operation, from food at sea to work functions on board and maintenance. As a result, we include aspects of repair and maintenance and the manufacture of consumer goods.

The aim is to show the trade and flow of goods in all its historical facets. In concrete terms, this means showing the arrival of raw materials and imported goods as well as the export of goods. The focus is also on transportation and packaging. Further processing and the resulting crafts and trade.

What Heydenwall's fighters have been doing for a long time applies to combat activities here, plus don't trip over ropes and oars.Joking aside, fighting on a boat has its pitfalls beyond rough terrain and obstacles. In addition, standing firm on unsteady ground has a new requirement.It is still unclear what this area might look like in concrete terms. Whether it's about showing combat as an aspect of seafaring, where it could be about protecting goods at sea, or whether it's about depicting a raiding crew. Currently, the depiction of combat in Haithabu is still in the background, as the basic aspects of seafaring are not yet certain.

Aspects of the trade in the “human commodity” are a very difficult topic in the depiction, but as this is part of Haithabu's history, it would be problematic not to address it.At present, we know too little about it to say anything about a suitable presentation.

The representation of historical seafaring includes not only the sea, but also the land. Here we find our home port, our audience and can devote ourselves to boat maintenance or simply camp.For the presentations, this means that we have a crew on the boat, but also one on land.We also want to show what seafaring makes possible.Starting with simple depictions of boat maintenance and repair. Both of which will be associated with boating anyway. Continuous representations include rope-making, net-tying and (birch) pitch production.Further ideas are welcome. Trade and craft displays are of course also welcome, as at all events. Naturally with a connection to seafaring.

There are some who want to do a big boat tour in the long term. The idea is not to take anything with you except what is historical and what modern regulations require. To then be on the move for a certain time or towards a certain destination, with everything that goes with it. It will be some time before we are in a position to dare to do this. In the spirit of good science, it is desirable that we write down our experiences.