Norwegian Viking ships.

My hometown Tonsberg, is Norways oldest city, founded around 870 a.d. and for some years in the Europeen middle age Europe, it was also the capitol of Norway.

In the 13th. century Norway also was the biggest contry in Europe, if we count in all the areas controlled by Norway.

The vikings travelled all over the western world and also in Russia and even to Egypt and it was also Norwegian vikings that was the first Europeens to travel to America around 950 a.d.

Three of the best known viking ships was found  in the area around Tonsberg and the most famous was the Oseberg ship from around 830, found close to the city in 1904.

The Gokstad ship was found, not very long distance from Tonsberg and was found in 1879 by two young boys.

A copy of the Gokstad ship was build in 1892 and was sailed across the Atlantic ocean to the

World Exibition in Chicago 1893.

The Americans was impressed when they found out that the norwegians had sailed across the Atlantic ocean in an open sailing boat.

The crew was invited to celebrate Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America.

The Norwegians said of corse yes to join the celebration, but told the Americans that vikings was there 500 years before Columbus.

                     

The viking ships was in many ways folloved by the Hansa ship that could take more cargo, but was not as good a sailing ship like the vikingships, but the great time for the viking ships was over and the Hansa ship become the common cargo ship.

The first copy of the Gokstad was ship build in 1892 and sailed to America in 1893.

In Tonsberg, Norway there has been two vikingships built and now they are building a third ship. 

A new replica of the Gokstad ship has just been started, but the next pictures is from the building of the Klaastad ship, also found in the same area.

The ships are built in oak that is a very good material for this kind of shipbuilding and with good results.

The planks of oak are very strong and is prefered for shipbuilding through generations and the bended parts of the tree is importent to make reinforcements.

The bended tree branches makes strong knees as reinforcements and are also used as ships span.

Pictures from the start to build the the Klaastad ship.

                         Here we can see the first planks upon the keel and were the stern begin.

 

Pictures from the beginning of the building of the Klaastad ship.

                                       The span is always put in place after the planks.

Here you can see the wood fibers that make the span strong.

It start to look like a ship...

 I stop now, but will continue later with more of the building of the Klaastad ship.

My English is not so good, but I believe you understand what I´m trying to tell and I know that there is a lot of people interested in the viking time and all the traveling with brilliant viking ships.