Oseberg Ship - Ship Structure

Ship Structure

The ship is a clinker built 'karv' ship built almost entirely of oak. It is 21.58 m long and 5.10 m broad, with a mast of approximately 9–10 m. With a sail of c. 90 m², the ship could achieve a speed up to 10 knots. The ship has 15 pairs of oar holes, which means that 30 people could row the ship. Other fittings include a broad steering oar, iron anchor, gangplank and a bailer. The bow and stern of the ship are elaborately decorated with complex woodcarvings in the characteristic "gripping beast" style, also known as the Oseberg style. Although seaworthy, the ship is relatively frail, and it is thought to have been used only for coastal voyages. The boat has low freeboard, with the topsides slightly flaired. In section the shape is similar to a hard chine with a distinct change of angle at the waterline and slack bilges . There is very little round in the sections meaning the displacement is low for the length of the hull compared to the Gokstad ship which has more rounded sections. The unsuitability of the design for ocean travel has been shown by the sinking of the modern facsimile twice during moderate weather. The main reasons appear to be the lack of freeboard, especially forward, where the hollow (concave)bow sections are very fine and lack the displacement necessary when the ship is driven down wind even by the limited sail area. After the first sinking the mast was moved further aft and the sail area reduced to stop the bow being driven under. This was insufficient to stop a second sinking.