Pirate ships are so 2003. The coolest boat you can take out into the open water these days is a Viking ship. If hopping aboard and sailing around the world is your dream, you’re in luck because you can now order a custom Viking ship from The Viking Ship Museum! The research center and its boat building yard are located on the shores of the Roskilde Fjord in Denmark. Besides showcasing ancient ships recovered from the fjord, the museum features interactive experiences that let visitors “feel, smell, and even taste the world of the Vikings.” So many jokes…

The museum has recreated tools used by Vikings and constructed ships to be as historically accurate as possible, and the builders there are ready to make custom Viking ships or wooden boats featuring Scandinavian designs. All options are built entirely by hand. You can go completely authentic and have builders replicate the process as it would have been done in the Viking Age – they’ll chop down the trees for construction themselves – or you can choose a building process that combines modern and Viking tools.

Prices vary since each ship is customized, but The Viking Ship Museum provides some ballpark figures with an entry point of $44,000:

Skuldelev 6
(12 meters, 7 pair of oars and sail): €250,000 – €400,000

The Large Gokstad
(10 meters, 6 pair of oars and sail): €113,000 – €160,000

The Little Gokstad
(6.5 meters, 2 pair of oars, sail): €33,000 – €53,000

It’s undoubtedly a lot of money, but hey, if you’re doing to drop big dollars on a boat, why not go handmade? And remember, the purchasing agreement probably has a clause explaining that buyers are not allowed to use the finished ships for pillaging or other nefarious purposes. Buyers should also be required to dress like Vikings while operating the ship.

HT: Technabob