How to Build Viking Ships
- 1). Lay the keel down in the shipyard, using wooden blocks to hold it firmly in place. Warships (or langskip) were small and fast, with keels about 50 feet long and 7 or 8 feet wide. Make sure you level and plane the keel so that it is straight and even, and check the blocks to ensure that the keel doesn't move. Viking keels are shaped like a long "T," with the top of the "T" used to connect the body of the keel.
- 2). Connect the stem and the stern to the keel on either end, using wooden plugs or iron ship-bolts. These are upward-curving lengths of wood designed to give the Viking ship its basic shape. Supporting rods should be used to hold them in position while you prepare the rest of the ship.
- 3). Lay the first two strakes--the wooden boards forming the body of the keel--into position on either side of the keel. They should be shaped and planed to match the keel's shape, then fastened to the underside of the "T" with iron rivets.
- 4). Connect the next two strakes on the outside of the first strakes, overlapping with them slightly and securing them with iron rivets at the overlap. Caulk the gap between them to ensure that the ship is watertight.
- 5). Repeat step four with successive strakes, each one overlapping the outermost strake and secured to them with iron rivets and caulking. Use support rods to hold them into position until the hull is complete; a hull will likely require between eight and 12 strakes to attain sufficient length.
- 6). Check the shape of the boat to ensure it is symmetrical, then add bracing ribs crosswise in the hull interior. Secure them with iron rivets; they will strengthen the ship's overall strength.
- 7). Mount the base for the mast in the center of the ship with rivets and ensure that it is secure.
- 8). Attach the gunwhale to the outermost strakes and secure it in place with rivets. This completes the basic shape of the Viking boat.
- 9). Add oarlocks to the gunwhale, then attach wooden seats to the hull corresponding to the oarlocks.
- 10
Remove the support rods and waterproof the entire boat with turpentine and tar, using paintbrushes to cover every inch of the surface. Apply several layers and wait for the last layer to dry before proceeding. - 11
Drill a one-inch hole in the bottom of the keel and plug it tightly. The hole is used to drain the ship after it has been pulled onto land. - 12
Insert the mast in the mast base and attach a tiller or steering oar to the stern. - 13
Pack oars for each crew member, launch your ship and set sail for the nearest sackable village.
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