Modern Viking Adventure: Fateful Voyage

0:00Disney Plus Hulu will make your day every day. Bluey for the kids. The all-new Hulu original series Furious for the second they're down. Good Morning America for your morning. ESPN College Game Day for your Saturday. And Toy Story 5 for a cozy family movie night on Sunday. Make your day every day with Disney Plus Hulu. 18 and older with the Disney Plus Hulu bundle subscription. Access these titles via Disney Plus. Terms apply. It is evening. Tuesday, the 27th of August, 2024. Off the coast of Norway, a wild storm rages over the North Atlantic. I see sheets of rain fall from the glowering sky, and a low, freezing fog clings to the air, shrouding the shoreline from sight.

0:48The slate-gray sea is in turmoil, the towering waves whipped into a frenzy by howling winds. More than a millennium ago, these waters were traveled by the Vikings, devil-may-care explorers striking out from Scandinavia in search of riches and adventure. The world has changed drastically since then, and yet today, a piece of history has been brought back to life. Someway offshore, a sleek, black ship bursts through the fog, her rust-red sails billowing in the wind. She rides the waves with powerful grace, seeming to harness the energy of the storm rather than fighting it. This is the Nadodda, a replica Viking ship hailing from the Faroe Islands.

1:41On board is a team of six international adventurers. Their Swiss skipper, 56-year-old Andy Fitzay, squints against the rain as he scans the swell ahead. Now, only a couple of hours from the coast, they are nearing the end of their journey. But just then, Andy sees something out of the corner of his eye. I was looking forward in this moment, and I saw in my perspective, just on the side, a wave is building up behind us, a wall of waves. There is no time to do anything before the wave smashes into the Nadodur. The back of the boat lifts up into the air, and the bow plunges down towards the frothing swell below.

2:30A heartbeat later, the vessel somersaults, capsizing lengthways and trapping the terrified crew beneath her hull. So it's a fraction of a second in no time underneath the boat. So there was no possibility to avoid this anymore, unfortunately, by steering right or doing some things at the last moment. It was just too big, the wave. Submerged in the chaos of the freezing water, Andy fumbles to free himself from the safety line, which tethers him to the boat. With just moments until he runs out of air, he gropes through the icy darkness and yanks the release handle on his harness. But nothing happens.

3:15The harness does not release. He is trapped underwater and unable to escape. I tried once and it didn't work under the water. And you're running in your mind out of time, out of option, and out of mind. mind. So I mean, your whole life is just hanging on the possibility that this harness release system works now.

3:49Ever wondered what you would do when disaster strikes? If your life depended on your next decision, could you make the right choice? Welcome to Real Survival Stories. These are by the astonishing tales of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. People suddenly forced to fight for their lives. In this episode, we meet Swiss skipper and adventurer, Andy Fietze. In 2024, Andy sets out to recreate history when he and a small crew embark on a daring voyage across the North Sea aboard the Nadodur, a replica Viking ship. Their aim is to honor Viking culture and history, promote the rich seafaring traditions of the Faroe Islands and encourage a future generation of explorers.

4:37But in a boat such as this, nothing is plain sailing. We knew it can be a very rough place on a Viking boat. There is no shelter from wind, sun, rain. So we didn't know how the ship is really behaving in heavy sea states. So we prepared for all the different scenarios. Yet despite all of Andy's efforts, some events simply cannot be prepared for. When the ship encounters unexpectedly bad weather and is violently capsized, the crew will be thrust into a fierce battle for survival against the might of the North Atlantic. They will be forced to call upon all their training skills and comradeship if they want to make it out alive.

5:23But even that may not be enough to avert tragedy. The picture is this submerged Viking boat and a life raft tangling around with large waves coming over the boat, under the boat, beside the boat. So you can imagine we had the fear that this life raft got destroyed. I'm John Hopkins from the Noiser Podcast Network this is Real Survival Stories

6:21It's morning, the 20th of April, 2023, in the Faroe Islands, a small archipelago adrift in the North Atlantic between Iceland, Norway, and Scotland. Formed by volcanic activity 50 to 60 million years ago, these 18 wind-swept islands sing with a stark otherworldly beauty. This is a realm of rugged mountains and green treeless valleys, encircled by dramatic sea cliffs and intersected by deep fjords. Settled by Norse explorers around the 9th century, the pharaohs are steeped in myth and history, and the legacy of the Vikings remains evident in local culture and seafaring traditions today. On Suroi, the southernmost of the Faroe Islands, a handful of brightly painted wooden houses make up the village of Tvoirera, which sits on a craggy hillside overlooking an inlet.

7:22Moored at a small jetty, a sailing boat bobs gently on the waves. Inside, its Swiss skipper, Andy Fitzay wakes on the morning of his 55th birthday. He is two weeks into a sailing trip around the pharaohs and decided to stop in Tvojrara overnight. As Andy sets about preparing for the day ahead, he is suddenly interrupted by a sound. Someone is knocking on the hull of the boat. Going to investigate, he discovers an elderly gentleman standing on the jetty. The stranger invites Andy, along with his nephew slash traveling companion Martin, to breakfast at the local boat club. My nephew and I went there and they welcomed us and immediately someone told me, listen, someone is coming in a couple of minutes and they will tell a story.

8:17They didn't know us. I didn't know them. I didn't know the village. Nothing. Just nothing. Yeah, the man came. His name is Ernst. And this kind of man that has in his face a long story of being seaman. He was 78 at the end. And he starts immediately and says, Listen, I would like to show you our history. Ernst, this charming elderly seafarer, leads Andy outside the boat club. He walks and then stops in front of a pair of heavy wooden doors that face out towards the sea. He pulls them open to reveal a workshop housing ropes, life vests and other sailing equipment. But that isn't all. Andy's eyes widen.

9:09Because there, in the middle of the room, is something extraordinary. extraordinary. There was lying this Ferris fishing boat, what is more or less a replica of a Viking boat, lying there with a lot of stuff on top of it. And then he starts to talk about this boat, the story about Viking, the story about Ferris Island, the story about this boat, the builder. It was really so intense, it was kind of being a chosen one in his eyes. Ernst tells Andy that this is the Nadoda, a traditional Faroese boat built by a local father and son in the late 90s and modelled on an ancient Viking ship. Measuring just 10 meters, or 32 feet, the double-masted vessel is constructed with overlapping planks in the lap-strake or clinker Viking style It is both an exquisite feat of craftsmanship and a work of art

10:25She was named after the 9th century Viking explorer Nadod, who was credited with the discovery of Iceland after he was blown off course whilst sailing from Norway to the pharaohs. In the past years, the Nadoda has lived up to her illustrious namesake, completing voyages to Norway, Iceland, and the Shetland Islands. But by the time Andy first sets eyes on her, the ship has not been sailed properly in decades. Ernst explains that he was the Naderdeur's last skipper, but that he and the other men of the boat club are too old to undertake any serious expeditions in her now. They need someone to take over the role and keep their heritage alive.

11:08And then he said, Andy, I want to have the opportunity that Next Generation sails this boat again, because it hasn't been sailing for 25 years. And I was standing there. And I just opened my mouth and said, I promise you I'll come back with a crew.

11:38every day. Bluey for the kids. The all new Hulu original series Furious for the second they're down. Good Morning America for your morning. ESPN College Game Day for your Saturday. And Toy Story 5 for a cozy family movie night on Sunday. Make your day every day with Disney Plus Hulu. 18 and older with the Disney Plus Hulu bundle subscription. Access these titles via Disney Plus. Terms apply.

12:05FX's American Horror Story returns for an unrivaled 13th installment with the iconic horrors you love to fear and an all-star cast reprising fan-favorite roles. Light your candles, draw your pentagrams, and prepare for a supreme surprise. FX's American Horror Story 13. Now streaming on Hulu.

12:35Taking on an endeavor like this is not for the faint-hearted. But to Andy, it is an irresistible opportunity. Though he has forged a highly successful career in the tech industry, Andy is also an experienced adventurer with a passion for exploring extreme and remote places. I love to be in nature because nature gives me the incredible feeling that I'm responsible what I'm doing. I like to be on my own, organize everything by myself because I like to be responsible for what I'm doing and also taking all the risks by myself. Nature can be very helpful to your own soul, to your body, because it's so direct and so it's real.

13:23And I like to have this direct experience on my own life. After a childhood spent sailing and skiing in Switzerland, Andy journeyed to Southampton in southern England, where he undertook training to develop his skills as a skipper. Over the years, he built up his experience, leading sailing expeditions around the globe. He soon discovered that what appealed to him wasn't simply racking up the voyages and ticking off locations, but something rather more poetic. I figured out I cannot go to the sea and just sailing from A to B. That's not what I like to do. No, I like to tell a story. Why are we doing this?

14:02So I immediately recognized I have to tell a story. Why are we doing this? What is behind the scene? And this was really cool. So I start to explore things with a story behind. Alongside Andy's love of stories is a desire to explore challenging uncharted territory, particularly at high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. And although he is a man drawn to extreme places and undertakings, he's very far from being an adrenaline junkie. I probably never crossed this line or went too far. So I start to figure out how I can teach myself, how can I review myself to go as close as possible to this risky edge.

14:48I know others telling me you are already over the edge from their perspective. I see a bit different perspective. You have to be very frank and very open in a review process and telling you often that you are not in an environment that you know everything. So you have to be very open as a leader to talk and to listen to your crew. For Andy, being a leader means preparing himself and his crew for every eventuality. A process he describes as building options. By anticipating potential dangers, he is better equipped to push up against risk and undertake the kinds of expeditions which appeal to him.

15:33I never had the feeling in my life that I had near that experience, never before. And there has been always the feedback also from the crew member. We were very planned, organized, very well in advance. And it gave me always the perspective of doing the rising, not more risky. So the capability of do somethings and anticipate the different challenges in a serious matter. And that has been always the case. Andy's passion for intense and extreme adventures has only become more pronounced since a life-altering diagnosis. They recognize a cancer, skin's cancer on my body. Fortunately, they found this early enough to cut it out.

16:27Yeah, they told me later on, two months, and then it would be too late. So it's changed really my perspective to life as I have three boys. And what would happen if they would be too late to cut it out? So I told myself, let's go out, make some things happen with your life. and probably also kind of it started there that I have no passion for things that just not helping each other not the society not the next generation I like to do real stuff it's hardly a surprise then that Andy seizes the opportunity proffered by the nadander it is a meeting of all his passions poetic stories extreme exploration and a chance for a new adventure one with a purpose Upon returning home from his 2023 Faroe Islands trip, Andy makes contact again with Ernst.

17:26Together, the two men weave a story around the planned expedition and work out how they can utilize it in some way for good. He's kind of my mentor in this. Being together with Ernst, this visionary, old man, seaman, he told me immediately, listen, I want to do it for the next generation. and I couldn't agree more. So let's do it for the next generation. And then we ask ourselves, how can we do it? And he told me, listen, if you could bring someone young, but also scientific on the boat, it would be so, so good. And he mulls over Ernst's words as he begins gathering a crew and making plans for the voyage.

18:11And then fate intervenes. In early 2024, he becomes a member of the prestigious Explorers Club, an international organization based in New York which is dedicated to promoting field exploration and scientific inquiry. And it is here that Andy happens to meet someone who fits all of Ernst's criteria. Her name is Carla. She is an ethnographic field researcher and archaeologist in her late 20s, specializing in the Viking era. Upon hearing about Andy's planned expedition, she leaps at the chance to join. She starts to train herself to be a good crew member. On a Viking boat, everyone has to be involved in everything.

18:57So it doesn't help if you're just knowledgeable. You need to do everything from steering to set the sails or using doors, everything, cooking, You need to be practical as well. And she had done a good job in preparing herself. So that was just four months before we left. She joined the crew.

19:22Alongside Andy and Carla, there are four other crew members. Liva, a world-renowned fairies ocean rower. Martin, Andy's nephew and fellow adventurer. Seni, a Swiss photographer. and Georg, a Swiss engineer with a talent for fixing almost anything. It takes months to organize everything and finalize plans, and Andy is careful to ensure every possible consideration is taken for the safety of the crew. We had everything with us to be proper prepared from a safety perspective. The boat was full with safety equipment, so we had survival suits, everyone had knives with them, we had a life raft, everyone had a lifeline, and the live rest and so on and so on.

20:07There was a multi-layer strategy for safety. So we really prepared very well. We just want to do it right, really right. This is after all, an extreme undertaking. Andy and his crew intend to sail from the boat club in Tvojröra to the Norwegian city of Trondheim, which served as the capital of the country during the Viking Age. It is a journey of 500 nautical miles, nearly 1 ,000 kilometers, and will take between three and five days. Being a replica Viking boat, the Naderdeh naturally has no engine. Unlike modern sailing ships, she also uses fixed sails, so steering is limited by wind speed and direction.

20:54The only onboard shelter consists of a piece of tarpaulin stretched over the back of the vessel, which provides sleeping space for up to two people. The crew will therefore be at the mercy of the elements. Waves can easily break over the sides of the shallow-hulled ship. To be successful, the entire crew must learn a whole new set of skills. None of us has sailed this. So we told ourselves we have to learn from scratch. So forget the things that you learned before as a sailor. Just ask any silly questions because we never know how this boat will behave. So we start to learn. And it was funny. And yeah, we end up with the feeling we will do it because it was really, really cool.

21:44And this is a great boat that we feel comfortable in the open sea.

21:53In mid-August 2024, the crew convene at the boat club in Toirera to begin their adventure. Over the next week, they gather supplies, do practice runs in the boat, and prepare for different scenarios, including capsizing. Evenings are spent bonding over meals and long conversations in the boathouse, and the six adventurers are soon a tight-knit team. They are practically celebrities on the small island And even make the front page of the newspaper In addition to training for their voyage The crew also fulfill their promise of trying to inspire the next generation By giving a talk to a crowd of several hundred local school children and teenagers We could talk to them about what it means to be Viking That you see something's behind the horizon And imagine what could be and leading your own life towards a vision and being a known explorer.

22:51And Carla has been there also on stage and a huge role model for all the young girls. And it has been so great to see the open eyes of these girls, to see Carla talking to them.

23:10It's around 3 p.m. on Saturday, the 24th of August. Outside the boat club in Tvojrera, hundreds of local people have gathered to wave off the explorers. Needing a window of decent weather, Andy has twice been forced to delay their departure. Now, however, everything is in place and conditions appear favourable. Decent winds, bright sun, pleasant seas. Though there is a definite feeling of excitement in the air, it is also tinged with trepidation. For the first time in my life, I journey with a lot of, not uncertainty, but some things that I have never done before. I was super sure from a preparation perspective that we are ready, that we're doing some things that are first A, doable, and B, enjoyable, and C, very important from a historic perspective to keep the heritage of Vikings ongoing.

24:11for the next generation. And beside me was Ernst, my mentor and storyteller. And he was smiling and was so proud that we got to this point. There was a great, great spirit on the pier. It felt absolutely right to go. After a couple of final alterations to the boat, the crew set sail, passing off into the wide open ocean. For the first few miles, the Nedoda is accompanied by dinghies bearing the old men of the boat club, shouting out last instructions and encouragement. Eventually, though, the dinghies fall away, and the Nedoda and her six adventurers are left alone in the North Sea. There is little time for reflection at first.

25:01Instead, the crew ready themselves for the onset of night, organizing food and shift changes. They watch as the sun sets over the water. and the sky grows dark. It was a Milky Way night, the first night. Absolutely beautiful. Stars. So it was beautiful to see the nature around the fence. We have been totally alone. We didn't see any ship in the first night. Sailing absolutely quiet. And then we start to tell stories to each other. And especially Carla started to tell stories about Vikings. and it was amazing to listen to her, to things that I really didn't know. Why did the Vikings build this boat like this?

25:53How they use it? For which purpose they use it? And this was great spirit on the boat, absolute great spirit.

26:07It is Monday the 26th of August. On board the Naderda, the mood has changed. Until this point, sailing has been smooth and uneventful. But the weather forecast has recently altered, and now it looks as if strong winds and stormy conditions are on their way, far earlier than previously predicted. We prepared for four days crossing as the longest possible time. That the weather changed towards being earlier the storm, and from another direction, so against our capability more or less. But we have been pretty sure we can cope this. We can cope the 4-meter prediction wave, the 40 knots of wind. We had a feeling that's doable.

26:57Armed with the latest weather forecast, Andy instructs his crew to make ready. They prepare the storm sail, eat some hot food and don survival suits, which will provide insulation and buoyancy should anyone fall into the water. Andy double-checks their equipment and reviews emergency procedures with the crew. The night is calm enough, but the following morning the storm sets in and only continues to grow worse as the day passes. It seems they might be in for a wild ride. The storm, as predicted, started to increase. the wind increased near like predicted then first. But then we recognized in afternoon it's going further.

27:44So it's not 40 knots of wind, it's not 50, it's not 60, it's probably 70 or more knots of wind. And the waves are not ending by 4 meters, not by 5 meters, not by 6 meters. So we saw during the afternoon and early evening large wave around the house, heavy wind. I prepared to cool for the worst.

28:14Disney Plus Hulu will make your day every day. Bluey for the kids. The all-new Hulu original series Furious for the second they're down. Good Morning America for your morning. ESPN College Game Day for your Saturday. And Toy Story 5 for a cozy family movie night on Sunday. Make your day every day with Disney Plus Hulu. 18 and older with the Disney Plus Hulu Bundle subscription. Access these titles via Disney Plus. Terms apply.

28:44FX's American Horror Story returns for an unrivaled 13th installment. With the iconic horrors you love to fear and an all-star cast reprising fan-favorite roles. Light your candles, draw your pentagrams, and prepare for a supreme surprise. FX's American Horror Story 13. Now streaming on Hulu.