#hugin

The Hugin is a Danish replica of the Norwegian Gokstad ship, built before 1949, which attracted a great deal of attention in July 1949 when it sailed from Denmark to England.

With a crew of 53 Danes, the Hugin sailed from Jutland to England in July 1949 to take part in the 1500th anniversary celebrations of the Anglo-Saxon landing in England under Hengest and Horsa in 449. The skipper and only trained sailor was navigator Peter Jensen. The only non-historical piece of equipment on board was a sextant. At the end of July 1949, the Hugin arrived in Main Bay (later renamed Viking Bay) near the town of Broadstairs, although this is not the traditional site of the historic Anglo-Saxon landing; that is a stretch of beach near the nearby hamlet of Ebbsfleet. From Broadstairs, she continued her journey via Ramsgate, Greenwich and Richmond to London, where she arrived on 1 August 1949. The crew was received by the Mayor of London with a lunch at the Guildhall. It was announced that the Daily Mail had purchased the Hugin and planned to donate her to the towns of Broadstairs and Ramsgate.

The Hugin was taken to an exhibition site in Pegwell Bay, where it was handed over to the mayors of Broadstairs and Ramsgate by Prince George of Denmark on 29 July 1950. Prince George also unveiled a bronze plaque.