Editing Viking ship (section)

== Ship construction ==

Viking ships varied from other contemporary ships, being generally more seaworthy and lighter. This was achieved through use of [[Clinker (boat building)|clinker]] ([[lapstrake]]) construction of the hull. The planks on Viking vessels were [[riving|riven]] (split) from large, old-growth trees - especially oak - as a riven plank is stronger than the sawn plank found in later craft.  A single strake (plank) could be as thin as one inch (2.5&nbsp;cm), resulting in a strong yet supple hull.<ref>[http://home.online.no/~joeolavl/viking/norse-shipbuilding.htm Lapstrake hull schematic] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717043217/http://home.online.no/~joeolavl/viking/norse-shipbuilding.htm |date=17 July 2012 }}</ref> Working up from a stout oaken [[keel]] and ribs, shipwrights fastened strakes to the keel and stem, and joined them with iron nails whose ends were hammered over a roves, or washers, to hold them in place. Each tier of planking overlapped the one below, and a caulking of tarred rope was used between planks to create a waterproof hull. The ships were strengthened structurally with crossbeams riding on top of each of the long floor timbers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Unger |first=Richard W. |date=1982 |title=The Archaeology of Boats: Ships of the Vikings |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/41727826 |journal=Archaeology |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=20–27 |issn=0003-8113 |jstor=41727826}}</ref> The mast was supported by a keelson, a heavy timber block placed on top of the keel.

Remarkably large vessels could be constructed using traditional clinker construction. Dragon ships carrying 100 warriors were not uncommon.<ref name="Batchelor2010">{{cite book|author=Stephen Batchelor|title=Medieval History For Dummies|url=https://archive.org/details/medievalhistoryf00step|url-access=registration|date=2010|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-470-66460-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/medievalhistoryf00step/page/n116 101]}}</ref> During the early Viking Age, oar ports replaced rowlocks, allowing oars to be stored while the ship was under sail to provide better angles for rowing. The largest ships of the era could travel five to six knots using oar power and up to ten knots under sail.<ref>Richard Hall, ''The World of the Vikings'' (New York, 2007), 55.</ref> Warships such as the ''skeid'' and the ''snekka'' were built with shallow drafts and equipped with sails. This combination endowed them with exceptional maneuvering capabilities and enabled them to land on beaches and sail up rivers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bruun |first=Per |date=1997 |title=The Viking Ship |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/4298737 |journal=Journal of Coastal Research |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=1286, 1289 |jstor=4298737 |issn=0749-0208}}</ref>