http://www.odditycentral.com/page/108 Modern-day Argonauts By Spooky on July 4th, 2008 Category: Events, News LIKE DISLIKE 0 Comment Stumble it Icon digg it Icon One of the world’s most fascinating legends is Jason and the Argonaut’s journey for the Golden Fleece. Now there are those who want to retake the unbelievable journey in an identical wooden ship. A replica of the Argo has been built according to the known designs for warships in the Mycenaean era, equipped with a ram used to break the hull of enemy ships. The ship will carry 50 oarsmen with another 22 standing by on a ship sailing behind the Argo. The modern argonauts will spend 2 months at sea, sailing 2000 nautical miles (3700 km), but unfortunately won’t be able to follow the journey of the original Greek heroes. Turkey has refused to guarantee safe passage for the 28.5 meters long ship through the Bosporus Strait, so the adventurers won’t be able to reach the city of Colchis, in modern Georgia. It will however retrace part of the argonauts return voyage. Argo and the 50 argonauts left on June 13 and will reach their destination on August 11. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25179338/ Science on MSNBC Modern-day Argonauts set sail Ship retraces 2,000 miles of the ancient Golden Fleece voyage PHOTO Caption: A man and a child look at the Argo replica ship docked at the port of Volos in central Greece, 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Athens. The ship set sail to retrace a portion of the ancient Argonauts' trip on Saturday. Advertisement | ad info Image: Argo replica Yiorgos Karahalis / Reuters A man and a child look at the Argo replica ship docked at the port of Volos in central Greece, 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Athens. The ship set sail to retrace a portion of the ancient Argonauts' trip on Saturday. The Associated Press ATHENS, Greece — A replica of the Argo, the ship that according to legend carried Jason and the 50 Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece, sailed Saturday from the central Greek city of Volos on a two-month journey to Venice in Italy. Turkey's refusal to guarantee the 93.5-foot (28.5-meter) wooden ship safe passage through the Bosporus Strait meant that the ship will not reach its ancient predecessor's destination of Colchis, in what is modern-day Georgia, at the eastern end of the Black Sea. Its route, instead, will retrace part of the Argonauts' return trip. According to a version of the legend, Jason and the Argonauts, while fleeing from King Aites of Colchis, from whom they had stolen the Golden Fleece, sailed from the Black Sea up the Danube river and then into the Sava and Ljubljanica rivers before continuing their trip on the Adriatic and Aegean seas. Jason is considered the founder of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia: the city's coat of arms includes a dragon, which Jason allegedly slew. The ship's crew comprises 50 oarsmen with another 22 on standby on a ship following the Argo, said Vangelis Constantinou, a spokesman for the project. "We had to reschedule the trip over the last 10 days, following Turkey's refusal," Constantinou added. The city of Volos had to arrange with 23 cities for the ship's overnight stay. The trip will comprise 37 legs and will total about 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 kilometers). The ship was built according to known designs for warships during the Mycenaean era. The Argonauts' trip is said to have taken place in the 14th century B.C., almost 200 years before the Trojan war. The ship includes a ram, used to attack and sink enemy ships. The trip is scheduled to end in Venice on Aug. 11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penteconter_%28ship%29 Penteconter (ship) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Illustrerad Verldshistoria band I Ill 117.png The penteconter, alt. spelling pentekonter, also transliterated as pentecontor or pentekontor (Greek: pe?t????t????, fifty-oared) was an ancient Greek galley in use since the archaic period. The penteconters emerged in an era when there was no distinction between merchant and war ships. They were versatile, long-range ships used for sea trade, piracy and warfare, capable of transporting freight or troops. A penteconter was rowed by fifty oarsmen, arranged in two rows of twenty five on each side of the ship. A midship mast with sail could also propel the ship under favourable wind. Penteconters were long and sharp-keeled ships, hence described as long vessels (Greek: ??e? µa??a?, n?es makraí). They typically lacked a full deck, therefore they were also called unfenced vessels (Greek: ?f?a?t?? ??e?, áphraktoi n?es). According to contemporary calculations, penteconters are believed to have been between 28 and 33 meters long, approximately 4 meters wide and capable of reaching a top speed of 9 knots (18km/h). Ancient Greeks also used the triaconter (also triacontor, Greek: t??a???t????), a vessel with 30 oars. There is a general agreement that the trireme, the primary warship of classical antiquity, evolved from the penteconter via the bireme. The penteconter remained in use until the Hellenistic period, when they became complemented and eventually replaced by other designs, such as the lembos, the hemiolia and the liburnians.