Rob's Longship

Our friend Rob Saveland passed away two years ago. The last time we saw him we were watching one of his favorite movies "Rocket Gibraltar" in which Bert Lancaster played a Grandfather who requested to have a 'Viking funeral' - to be burnt at sea in a longship - and his grandchildren gave him that. "That's what I want," Rob had said.
Last year Dad learnt that Rob's widow, our long-time friend Dorothy Daniels, was planning to grant Rob what he had requested, and he volunteered to build the ship. I did much of the research and we observed models, websites, and pictures, talked to many knowledgable people, and had many long conversations. We drew up plans, made a cardboard draft, and began work on the final product. Dad worked at the shop of George Wood, a great family friend who had built his own vessel there. Rob's, however, would only be about four feet in length, to hold his ashes. Dad made it out of doorskin and the project came to a material cost of about $11, but the product was impressive. We painted her black and sewed the square sail, rigged her and lashed on the steering oar and, after a lot of fine-tunning, she was ready to be launched. We took her down to the model-sailing pond at Beacon Hill Park with some friends and found the ideal weight of ballast. There was a misty drizzel and the air felt as still as the grave, but our little ship was moving at a walking pace under full sail. There was a serene feeling in watching the ancient vessel floating out on the calm pond. Just as we took her out of the water to go home a father and his boy came down with a fast, noisy remote control speed-boat which kicked up the calm surface of the water and made a loud whinning through the still air. "There's a statement about modern Society for you, eh?" I commented direly.
In may we drove up to Alert Bay and delivered the ship to Dorothy. When Dad handed it to her she just held it and wept silently.
The ship shall be burnt on Rob's deathday, September 15th.