A Viking sword drawn by sails. Polish engineers leave their mark on Norway’s Sognefjord
In a bold fusion of maritime tradition, engineering precision, and creative flair, the Polish training tall ship STS Kapitan Borchardt carved an enormous Viking sword onto the waters of Norway’s iconic Sognefjord — and it did so not with ink or steel, but with GPS.
In brief
The sail training ship STS Kapitan Borchardt traced the shape of a Viking sword with its GPS track on the waters of the Sognefjord in Norway on 4 June 2025. The drawing is 3.6 nautical miles long and 1.06 miles wide, and the ship sailed over 10 nautical miles without a single break in the GPS track. The crew consisted of staff, students and graduates of the Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science at AGH under the command of captain Anna Kiełbik-Piwońska. The voyage began on 31 May in Ålesund, runs via Måløy and Flåm, and is scheduled to end in Bergen.
On June 4, 2025, amidst the dramatic landscapes of Verkaneset and Lauvaneset, the crew — a spirited mix of faculty, students, alumni, and staff from the Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science at AGH University of Krakow — executed a precise navigation maneuver that resulted in a 3.6-nautical-mile-long and 1.06-mile-wide sword figure, clearly visible in satellite data. The entire “drawing” was accomplished over a continuous 10.08-nautical-mile course, with no GPS breaks.
At the helm of this floating feat: captain Anna Kiełbik-Piwońska and chief engineer Mateusz Nowak, supported by a fully engaged academic crew working in four rotating watches. The idea originated on board — a spontaneous challenge born from the rejs (sailing voyage) tradition — and was swiftly embraced by the permanent crew and leadership.
The striking GPS shape, resembling a Viking sword, has already been submitted to the Polish Records Bureau for official verification — a potential maritime first.
Now in its fourth edition, the AGH sailing expedition aims to promote the AGH Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science across European waters, while fostering community under the AGH motto: knowledge – passion – bond.
The journey began on May 31st in Ålesund, with stopovers in Måløy and Flåm, and is currently (as of June 5) en route to Bergen. Onboard life is a balance of rigorous seamanship and camaraderie, where the academic meets the nautical — and, evidently, the artistic.
This GPS sword is more than a clever stunt. It’s a signal from a new generation of engineers and innovators: they know how to navigate the world’s waters — and leave a mark while they’re at it.
Source: Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Kamil Kusier
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