The replica Viking longboat Draken Harald Hårfagre just completed a historical Atlantic crossing from Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland. She is now in the Great Lakes and along with other training and non-commercial historical vessels where she was to visit North American ports and be honored along with other Tall Ships during the 2016 season.



After first being given an exception to the Great Lakes requirements for pilotage, her crew has been informed only after completion of this historic crossing and on her arrival in the Great Lakes by the Canadian Great Lakes Pilotage Authority that she is in fact NOT exempt and must pay what amounts to an overall pilotage cost of $400,000; otherwise, she will not be permitted to continue her visits to U.S. and Canadian ports.



The solution would be for the Great Lakes Pilotage Authority and the U.S. Coast Guard to rescind this unjustified requirement, to allow the Draken Harald Hårfagre the same latitude as other non-commercial tall ships enjoy and to continue on the port visits for which dozens of Great Lakes communities have publicized, planned and sold admission and entry tickets.