Preview: Building The Viking Ship VALKYRIE

17 Responses So Far to “Building The Viking Ship VALKYRIE”

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  Seymour Hamilton says:

  Bless you David Knudson, an honourable descendent of stalwart Danish boatbuilders and sailors, and a good son.

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  Derrick Burry says:

  Amazing story. Looking forward to more video with this wonderful vessel sailing.

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  Bryan Hammond says:

  How are the planks laid out for cutting without frames? Obviously, if you had frames, you could use a spiling batten to find the shape of the plank transfer to the stock and lay out the shape that way. But how is this done on Viking boats where the floor timbers And frames aren’t added till after the first few planks are fitted. I’ve seen the angle finder used to make sure the planks are set in at the right angle but that’s ask I’ve seen. Thanks for the excellent content.

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    Jay Smith says:

    Bryan,The garboard, broad and lower short planks can be laid up as a raw plank, striking the upper and lower lines, adding the lap width, hood end and scarf location directly onto the plank itself. The plank is then cut to these lines, bevel gauges give us a rough start on the lap bevel and the plank is laid up for final fitting. The lay of each strake is determined by the builder’s eye and experience.

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  Stephen E Chalmers says:

  Built to last, so much ‘new’ information leads to more questions. How do you ship oars in a seaway or running a beach? Technique(s) to manage leaway? Did they dry out above the waterline (devil board) or completely when or if winter-stored, laid up ashore?

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    Jay Smith says:

    Stephen,
    Oars in oarports must be shipped through the oarport, oftentimes rather quickly. These boats/ships have a long keel plank which adds amazing directional stability. The plank seams in lapstrake construction will not “dry out”. With wool or oakum caulking, a magical mix of seam compound, pine tar and linseed oil and iron rivets as fastenings, plank seams cannot open up.

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  Mark Barber says:

  This is an amazing video and the ship they built is an appropriate tribute to the masters of shipbuilding and seamanship, who developed their art over a thousand years ago. Truly AMAZING!!!

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  Kamin Lambertson says:

  Nice to know there’s suitable woods in the NW for this ship. Where will it go once launched?

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    Nate Rooks says:

    Kamin, I believe the plan is to be a charter and educational boat throughout the Salish Sea but likely based in Seattle.

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    Jay Smith says:

    Kamin,
    We are fortunate to have such remarkable forests here in the NW. The planking stock was phenomenal. Valkyrie will sail out of Poulsbo initially.

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  James Tolpin says:

  So heartening to see the wise technology of the past carried forward. Thanks Jay!

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  William Mittendorf says:

  Clearly the men who built this way 1,000 years ago were smart, patient, diligent, courageous, and wise. As human beings I don’t think we have anything on them at all… what a wonderful project.

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  Chris Stask says:

  Great video, thank you

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  Ian Douglas says:

  Fascinating video. I loved learning all the details of construction. A whole new area of interest opens up!

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  Jonathan Lewis says:

  Simply amazing.

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  Stephen Horsley says:

  What a wonderful video. Am so fascinated by the age old technology of this type of construction. Beautiful craftsmanship. Thought I had seen most everything in boat construction of this sort but before me I’ve witnessed three stunning things I haven’t. Shroud needles! what a thing of beauty and simplicity, Sweep shutters! Oh my, just beautiful and that mast step, earthly organic beauty again and all that combines to the crowning glory of the visible deck structure of the whole mast step with removable cover for stepping. What I would give for a sail and row in this viking ship!

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    David Green says:

    Yes, the shroud needles are sculpture…beautiful things. And the sweep shutters…perfect examples of utilitarian less-is-more art meets need.