The recent visit of the replica Viking ship Draken Harald Hafagre was a huge success and a real feather in the cap for Rockland.

Given Rockland’s deep maritime heritage as well as the history of the Scandinavian community in the Midcoast those of us who assisted the Draken team in setting up their visit knew that the ship would be a popular temporary addition to our city’s world-class waterfront, but we were all surprised by the sheer numbers of visitors who traveled from both near-and –far to see the ship and to learn about both her adventures and the history of Viking exploration and navigation.

It was wonderful to hear of crowds of shoppers and diners thronging downtown and beyond, of first time visitors promising to return to explore further (including many of the crew), and the affection felt for the city and it’s residents by the Draken crew based on the warmth and friendliness of the reception they received.

None of this would have been possible without a small army of enthusiastic civic entities and individual volunteers.

I would like to thank the City of Rockland, Matt Ripley and his team in the Harbor Department, the RSU13 administrative team, The Strand Theatre, The Apprenticeshop, Cabot Lyman (for on-water support), the Rockland Harbor Hotel, the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, Rockland Main Street, Inc., The Maine Lobster Festival, Allen Insurance & Financial, the Draken crew and shore team, the more than 60 volunteers from all over, and anyone I inadvertently missed who gave their time and energy to ensure four fun days on the waterfront and throughout the city for the more than 6,000 people who came to see the ship and the related activities.

Dan Bookham lives in Rockland