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Post by Lady Winter Wolf on Aug 2, 2005 13:41:35 GMT -5
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Post by Lady Winter Wolf on Aug 2, 2005 13:55:32 GMT -5
Ahead of their time, the Norseman were highly skilled ship builders. The unique design of their ship allowed them to open up trade routes and explore areas throughout Europe and into Asia and North America. There were various ship designs in the Viking arsenal, each designed for a specific use. The best known ship was the longship-a canoe shaped warship. Strong enough to sail the stormy seas, the design allowed them to sail up rivers and carry the boats across land. This was primarily due to the rudder system that had been developed. This technology allowed them to conquer areas in surprise attacks. These ships could be equipped with up to 30 rowing benches. The ships were built with a shallow draft to all penetration in hard to reach areas. The ships were powered by oar and sails. Some boats had slight leaking around the seams. A Norse law regarded a boat unseaworthy if it needed bailing 3 times in 2 days. The drekar, or dragon-headed longships, were stealthy troop-carriers. They could cross the open oceans under sail and then switch to oars for lightning-fast hit-and-run attacks on undefended towns and monasteries. Far surpassing contemporary English or Frankish vessels in lightness and efficiency, longships carried Viking raiders from northern England to north Africa. Viking expertise in naval craftsmanship soon led to the evolution of other types of ship. Among these were the knarr, or ocean-going cargo vessel, which facilitated far-flung trade networks and the colonization of Iceland, Greenland, and America. The knarr drew on similar design principles as the longship but was higher and wider in relation to its length and had only limited numbers of oars to assist with maneuvers in narrow channels. Cargo decks were installed fore and aft. Along with unique boat technology, the Vikings were also pioneers in navigation. They tended to stay close to land, usually island hopping. But for sailing out in the open sea they had to use different techniques. Using the North Star, they were able to calculate how far north or south they were from home. One of the instruments used was a notched stick or mast which was used to calculate the position of the ship with the star. Vikings may have used a bearing dial to determine the position of the sun and moon as another technique. Another method used was the release of ravens after setting sail and losing sight of land. The birds would fly to land if the ship was not too far away from shore. Migrating animals would also be observed to help navigate.
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Post by MjolnirH on Aug 9, 2005 2:04:59 GMT -5
Sweet!!! I totally want one <pouts>
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Post by rincewind on Nov 3, 2005 15:46:36 GMT -5
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Post by magnus on Apr 4, 2006 2:40:26 GMT -5
last time i watched something on tv documentries vikings would sail up the coast of norway to a know location in north/south line. then would use a sun dial bearing with a line drawn across to adjust to the sun at the high latitude, then sail east or west on that measure line, in this case west with something like a quarter mile deviation(with recreation persons) over 3 days.
they would go north to a known point along the coast that would be a known cast of point for going to lands related west. (known im not sure didnt catch the program early enough) but the would to that point adjust the sundial bearing then sail west using the dial to reach targets like iceland, scotlander and etc.
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