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03.02.2020

How Viking ships were made

The construction of a longship was a massive undertaking that demanded tens of thousands of hours of labor when considering all the various components involved in the process. These components encompassed cutting and transporting wood to the construction site, building the ship's main body, crafting iron elements like nails, fastening these components, producing tar, creating ropes, and weaving and sewing the sail. Numerous individuals, both men and women, had to collaborate to bring this ambitious project to fruition.

One of the key requirements for shipbuilding was a substantial quantity of high-quality timber. Wood served not only for constructing the planks forming the ship's main body but also for various other purposes, including treenails, wedges, oars, rudders, rigging blocks, gangplanks, bailers, clamps, battens, stakes, shores, and the stocks on which the vessels were built, as well as skids and launching ways.

Oak, particularly prevalent in the southern regions of Scandinavia, was highly prized for its exceptional strength and flexibility, and it was often associated with the concept of a ship in Viking poetry. When oak was not readily available, pine, maple, or birch were used as substitutes.

Unlike contemporary sawing methods, the planks of Viking-Age ships were not sawn but rather cut along the natural grain of the wood using axes and wedges. This approach rendered the planks more flexible and easier to bend. Planks were then arranged in a clinker or lap-strake fashion, involving a slight overlap of planks, producing a stepped appearance. These planks were secured together with nails, and frames and ribs were added to maintain the ship's shape.

Wool was the primary material used for caulking between the planks to seal any gaps, and the entire hull was coated with pine tar to waterproof it.

Viking ships engaged in extensive warfare and travel, rather than being mere trophies displayed by their owners, required constant maintenance and repairs. They had a relatively short lifespan of a few decades at most before becoming unseaworthy and needing replacement, akin to the way cars require regular upkeep and eventual replacement today.

How Viking ships were made

 

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