Just as a footnote (I have the "Vasa" book which I wonder if they would chance move). Perhaps you might imagine, we in New York City had a number of archaeological projects in the landfill the Dutch began back in the "swampy" era of Manhattan, mostly near the South Street Seaport, where prevailing winds would carry ships away from docks on the East River (or Sound River, connecting through Hellsgate "light gate" to the "Mediterranean-like" environment of the Long Island Sound) without towing (which would have been required on the Hudson River side) though steam-power opened it up to all sorts of riverside development.
You might imagine my surprise one day walking down to the dock at the South Street Seaport, a museum of ships too, (one the "Peking" might be "returned" to Germany) when there tied up to the dock was a fairly large Norse ship, and instead of the "black" very wooden colored. It had been made in the Midwest of the United States along the lines of the excavated ships and had been sailed through the Great Lakes into New York and was flying an American flag! Fortunately I had a camera to take some pictures for surely someone might think on the recounting I was making it up!
As I recall once a then Mayor Koch issued a proclamation officially apologizing to some Scandinavians that had been arrested like then 80 years past that had been celebrating their crossing of the Atlantic Ocean to New York in a Viking replica and on the way to the ship had been overly boisterous in the early morning hours and had been hauled in. There is a Leif Erikson Park in Brooklyn next to Fort Hamilton and a monument in New Rochelle, NY, not far from the New York City line.
I hope these world heritage artifacts aren't "just moved" and damaged due to all the interesting history associated with them and the various Norwegian Halls in the US. NY Times December 25, 2006
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