Why you probably won't see any Vikings when the tall ships sail past next month

Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of a rare reproduction Viking ship as it passes through the St. Marys River will be disappointed, thanks to a dispute over who should be allowed to steer the vessel.

The Tall Ships Challenge 2016 won’t stop in Sault Ste. Marie, but the 19 ships in the fleet are scheduled to pass through the Soo Locks twice — prior to the tour’s August 18 stop at Duluth, Minnesota, and again when they return.

But the Draken Harald Hårfagre — which sailed from its home port in Norway to Greenland, then to Newfoundland before making its way through the St. Lawrence Seaway — won't be making the trip.

According to its web site, the Draken — a reproduction Viking ship — will not follow the tour after this week’s visit to Bay City, Michigan, on the Lake Huron shore.

At issue are piloting fees required to navigate American and Canadian water systems, such as the Great Lakes and the St. Marys River.

Foreign commercial vessels are required by law to be piloted by an American or Canadian through those waters, which comes at a cost.

A posting on the ship’s website said those costs — which they say amounts to $400 an hour — are not within reason for the non-profit.

"The ship was invited to participate in the Tall Ships Challenge Great Lakes 2016 and entered the waters of St Lawrence and the Great Lakes with information from the Great Lakes Pilotage Authorities that a ship of the size and variety of Draken Harald Hårfagre would be excepted the requirement of pilotage," reads the statement, dated yesterday.

They estimated the cost to complete the tour to be over $400,000.

John Swartout, president of the Western Great Lake Piloting Association, said he was surprised to hear the crew of the Draken did not expect piloting fees.

“They have been asking about the cost since last fall and we have been telling them the estimate based on the speed these vessels can make and their itinerary,” said Swartout.

He added, “I don’t know why they thought they were going to get an exemption.”

In some circumstances, Swartout said pilots may volunteer to command a ship — but that would be problematic because of the length of the scheduled tour.

Pilots not only ensure a vessel travels safely through the Great Lakes and river systems, but also to ensure no pollutants are spilled and that the vessel and crew are no threat to homeland security.

The tall ships — excluding the Draken — are scheduled to make port stops at Chicago and Green Bay on Lake Michigan and Duluth on Lake Superior, and the fleet will race between stops.

There are only two Canadian stops on the schedule, one in Toronto and another in Brockville.

The last time the Sault hosted a tall ships tour was 2013.

The Draken will return to Norway within the next few days if they are not granted an exception, states a post on their web site.