Lennart has sailed the seven seas as an officer before becoming a Naval Architect. For a decade he has been educating future officers of the Royal Danish Navy in their role as navigators. Believing that learning should be fun he is more of a performer than a traditional lecturer, and always wants his audiences to take part or gain some hands-on experience from his talks. Topics would be on Navigation combined with Astronomy, Arctic navigation in combination with great Arctic explorers, modern Ship construction and Naval History especially in the North Sea and Baltic region. Being from Denmark he speaks the Scandinavian languages as well as being a fluent English speaker who also communicates in the major European languages.

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DESTINATION FOCUSED TALKS:

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1. Danish straits
After centuries of income from duties to the King of Denmark the Sound provided a highway for Nelson to attack Copenhagen in 1801. Today Russian warships pass the Great Belt peacefully, while Denmark struggle to make pilotage compulsory in order to avoid oil spillage in the narrow shipping lanes.
The technical features and political considerations of the Great Belt Bridge regarding the right of passage for ships entering the Baltic Sea. And how to avoid damages to the bridge in case of ship collisions.

2. Scandinavia Under pressure: Split second decisions that changed history.
April 2´nd 1801 Horatio Nelson is ordered by his admiral to halt the battle of Copenhagen. His reaction is a complete surprise – and he wins the battle.
April 9´th 1940 a Norwegian officer spots a German warship in the grey morning off Oslo. Should he open fire and start a war with mighty Germany?
This talk points out the historical background and difficult navigational features of the Danish and Norwegian waters from the Oslo Fjord over the Sound with Kronborg Castle and Three Crown Fortress.

3. The Vikings – How did they manage to expand to America and Asia?
What led the small population from the cold North to rule over so many places in the course of 200 years?
Get an insight into Viking ship technology that made oceangoing vessels able to navigate in shallow rivers and what part climate change played at the time.
Wonder why they would go to Greenland and give this icy place such a strange name.
Understand how it was possible to find their way across the Atlantic Ocean to America without any compass or sighting along the way.

4. Battle for power in the Baltic!
From Vikings and medieval kings to modern wind farms and pipelines the right to use the sea has been challenged for centuries. The latest disruption of pipelines and communication cables is really nothing new.

5. Searching for the North-West Passage from Europe to the Pacific and ending up in Bergen
Why would anybody in their right mind try to go from Europe to the Pacific via the Arctic in 1619 AD?
Hear the exciting story of the failure of the expedition and why only three men returned, only to end up in a prison in Bergen instead of being celebrated in Copenhagen.

6. Greenland - A part of Denmark with a unique history and nature.
See for yourself the amazing Inuit culture and hear the extraordinary tale of human survival under extreme Arctic conditions.

7. Greenland explorers: Great achievements and famous last words.
Get into the mind of the great women and men who opened the remote parts of the Arctic, where not even Arctic animals are able to survive.

8. Iceland: Fire, volcanoes and ice in the middle of the ocean
Learn about the geology that makes Iceland grow all the time, and find out why there is land in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Hear also how the magma just below a thin layer of rock is put into use as a source of energy and as a depot for CO2 extracted from the atmosphere.

9. The Midnight Sun and northern lights
Get an insight into the astronomy behind the midnight sun. What exactly is the Arctic Circle and why does the Sun sometimes shine at midnight? Learn also which place on Earth experiences the most daylight each year, and why the polar night is not all darkness.

10. The Atlantic
How much do we know about the oceanography of the Atlantic? The strongest currents and the deepest spots. Does a gap occur when the Americas are drifting away from Europe and Africa? And why is it the sea floor just a few miles below our ship has been explored less than the surface of the Moon?

11. How the Caribbean Virgin Islands became American - Politics among superpowers
Hear the strange story of the US Virgin Islands, bought in 1917 from Denmark for the sum of 25 Million $. And learn why the deal was considered a question of utmost importance to the powers of WW1.

12. The Caribbean Sea and its geology. Understand the reason why this sea is able to produce such beautiful coral reefs, islands and magnificent colors.

13. Columbus - Hear about his dream, his Caribbean achievements and his fear of falling off the edge of the World.

14. Meteorology. Understand the planetary wind system and the trade winds that make the Caribbean weather so pleasant and predictable - Sometimes!

15. The Pacific
How much do we know about the oceanography of the Pacific? The strange life forms, the strongest currents and the deepest spots. And why is it the sea floor just miles below our ship has been explored less than the surface of the Moon?

16. The geology of atolls
Get an insight into the formation and development of many Pacific islands in which coral reefs play a major role.

17. The ships and people that conquered the Pacific
How was it possible for "primitive" people to seek and find isolated islands in the vast ocean? And why was James Cook so famed for his discoveries when both Tasman, Magellan and others had been there before?

18. Meteorology with focus on the Pacific
The planetary wind system and other major drivers of weather. Why does some areas experience endless wind and precipitation while others seem to have a never-ending summer? Where would you be guaranteed never to meet wind? And what is it with the trade in the trade winds?

19. The international date line.
Can you really experience the same date twice by passing it? And why does the line zig-zag through the Pacific?
Understand the international system of time zones and how the date line seemingly makes time travel possible!!!

20. An Arabian journey. Is it wise to try to learn from other civilizations?
In 1761 the Danish king sent out a group of five experts to the Arabic world in an attempt to gain new knowledge. So why did only one of the brilliant scientists return, and why did another make preparations for murder?

21. The Panama and Suez Canals.
Understand their history and why these major shipping lanes work in a very different way. Why does Suez operate shipping in convoys, while Panama has a series of Locks? And why does neither of the canals make use of water pumps when so much water has to be moved?

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GENERIC TALKS:

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1. What are all the little dots in the night sky?
Can you see events that took place before humans evolved? other planetary systems? stars being born
or dying? How do you find true North?
And why does the Sun and Moon seem to increase in size when rising and setting?
Including names and stories of major star constellations

2. The secrets of navigating by the stars
It took hundreds of years to perfect, and the final breakthrough was made by a clockmaker.
Understand the methods and try for yourself how to fix your position without familiar landmarks or a GPS
(followed by hands-on tutorials in small groups on astronomical observation. An interesting pass-time for 1-2 hours outside on deck during day-time or night-time).

3. Reading the nautical chart right here
A walk-through features of the coast, seabed, shipping lanes, lighthouses, depth, tides and currents etc. at the actual position (Inside or outside on deck, paper chart or ship's ECDIS system as appropriate)

4. How does a cruise ship stay upright and afloat
Being so tall it looks like it's going to tip over any time. Made of steel that is much heavier than water.
What are the forces and safety features that make a modern ship able to handle the worst conditions Mother Nature can throw at it?

5. Meteorology with focus on the actual spot
The planetary wind system and other major drivers of weather. Why does some areas experience endless wind and precipitation while others seem to have a never-ending summer? Where would you be guaranteed never to meet wind? And what is it with the trade in the trade winds?

6. Jakob Riis - A Danish American rough romance
Hear the touching story of a man who just didn't quit his romantic purpose - and transformed the American society in the process.

It is a great experience to share my interests with curious guests on board. Especially the subject of navigation and what goes on in the seas and oceans have attracted interest during my first years of presenting on cruise ships.
Though the Baltic and Northern regions are my own back yard, I am now expanding my area to tropical seas like the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific as well.
I have successfully done a number of workshops on Celestial Navigation where every participant managed to find the ship's position from observing the Sun. It proved an interesting way for guests to spend sea days with learning new skills related to cruising the World.

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.