Ship Building by Alex Clayphan and Mark Sanderson

So you want to build a ship? The first question you then need to ask is what kind of ship is it to be? and then how big?

Viking ships (not boats, they’re different), come in a range of sizes, and purposes archaeologically, but they tend to follow the same basic pattern. The first thing you need to do is to pick your wood carefully, the optimum choice is Oak, but Ash, Beech, Lime, and Pine have all been used, and use it green, not seasoned, this will ease working, and since the vessel is rarely going to be far from moisture the problems of shrinking and warping are few and far between. The keel is first laid down, and it is made from a single timber, to this are added the fore and aft stems, they are carved from a single trunk section, finished to look like planks that merge into the keel, the stems are then linked to the keel by a scarf joint. Next, the planks of the hull are cut, they are made by the simple process of taking a long section of tree trunk and splitting it with iron or beech wedges, the semi circular sections are then adzed into two planks of roughly equal length, and finished to give two planks to run from stem to stem or if too short, also linked by a scarf joint to another. A line run from the top of the fore stem to the top of the aft stem, allows a straight stave to be used to check the angle of the planks on the port side is the same as that on the starboard side, that way the ships cross section is uniform, and it will sail straight, this simple device is called an Ell, it allows the skilled ship builder to construct various different hulls by making the cross beams in length to give a wide or narrow profile. As the planks are built up, they are clamped in place such that each new plank sits with its edge over the one below, the overlap between the plank (or strakes), is protected against leaks by having wool soaked in pine tar packed along it before the strakes are nailed in place. Bulkheads and stanchions are then fitted, with an upward support called a snelle fitted to strengthen the stanchions, at the same time, the keelson is fitted for vessels with a mast, this device sits above the keel, and is usually lashed in place to cleats on the keel,.The mast is further support by either a large timber called a mast fish, or by a cross beam higher up in the level of the vessel. Should the vessel need them oar ports are cut into the strakes that will form the top line of the hull, supports for shields may then also be added. Finally, further cross beams, and/or longtitudinal beams called stringers, can be added, these are then surmounted by benches, and/or decking, and at the same time the mast is locked into position. Congratulations, you now have a Viking ship ready to be fitted with sails and cargo/warriors, next article we’ll tell you how to navigate it about, if you have any bits left over, please remember the important rule, don’t mention it until land is out of sight!