LivingHistory.co.uk

I am just back from 4 days working on the most amazing ship building project in Norway. They are building an exact copy of the Oseberg ship using original techniques and tools. Starting from big logs like these. we cleft and hewed planks then steamed and fitted them all using the most gorgeous replica axes and other tools of the period.


cleaving


Hewing


gorgeous axe


This is my board you have to get it to this stage just with the axe.


lots more pics on my blog here
http://greenwood-carving.blogspot.com/2 ... -ship.html

Fantastic! Thanks for posting. Will you be going back?

Wow.

Just wow - that looks great!

So how much waste was there just from creating that board?

Hope to go back in the spring and waste is a modern concept, in a world of lots of trees you could view what we were doing as making lots of firewood and kindling with a ship as a by product.

purple peril wrote:Ages ago at the cinema, when they still used to show an additional (often eduacational) film before the main feature, I remember them showing a film about the discovery and preservation of the ships discovered at Roskildefjord...

I think I remember that!

purple peril wrote:That's fab, Robin. What an amazing project to be involved in!

Ages ago at the cinema, when they still used to show an additional (often eduacational) film before the main feature, I remember them showing one about the discovery and preservation of the ships at Roskildefjord...
http://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/exh ... lde-fjord/
I've wanted to go ever since. Hmm, maybe a Scandinavian ship-based educational tour next year, combining several sites...

It's also reminded me of when I used to spend holidays near Macduff and Banff in the 70s as a kid and used to enjoy watching them make and repair the wooden boats.

Looking forward to hearing more about this

Thomas Finderup is the lead shipwright on this project and he worked at the Roskilde viking ship museum during the years they were building the large replica ships there, he is unbelievably knowledgeable. I have still not been to Roskilde but it is high on the to do list.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us, looks like you had a fantastic time!

Dragon Harald Fairhair
The largest Viking ship built in modern times

In June 2012 the largest Viking ship ever built in modern times will be launched.
Named after Harald Fairhair, the king who unified Norway into one kingdom, this great dragon ship is coming together in the town of Haugesund in Western Norway.


Photo from the boatyard. january 2012

Construction began in March of 2010. Crafted in oak, at a length of 114 feet, 27 feet in the beam, displacing 70 tons, and with a 3200 square foot sail of pure silk,
this magnificent ship will indeed be worthy of a king.

The Dragon Harald Fairhair will have 25 pairs of oars. It is necessary to have at least two people on each oar to row the ship efficiently. That will give a crew of at least 100 persons, yet the craft should be able to be sailed by only twelve.

For more information about the project, the planned voyages, and to join the skipslauget / The Fellowship of the Dragon go to:

Website: http://www.vikingkings.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/277020215675452/
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/DragonFairhair

Contact:
Project Officer
Paul Mercer
Tel: +44 7534 156557
paul@vikingkings.com

that look great would love to go

and yesterday the ship was launched [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5-F3eMzcQE&feature=related[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5-F3eMz ... re=related

Fantastic!

looks fantastic - is she longer than the Sea Stallion built by the Roskilde centre?

The Tonsberg ship in the video is a reconstruction of the Oseberg Viking ship and is just over 21 metres long.
The Dragon Harald Fairhair is 35 metres long and 7.7 metres wide so is longer and much wider than the Havhingsten (Sea Stallion) from Roskilde which was about 30 metres long but less than half the width of the Dragon.


Testing the sail on Dragon Harald Fairhair


The naming ceremony for Dragon Harald Fairhair

Some of our members went on the Dracon when it was over on the Wirral getting repaired after the mast came down. The had a great day.