Biti - the rower's seat
As a rule, biti and beams are made from a straight piece of timber and secured using a knee in each side. However, there is often a ‘grown knee’ on one side of the piece, i.e. the boatbuilders chose a log with a branch that had the correct shape. Biti are an important part of the frame, as a bite with its floor timber, knee and futtocks is the stiffest construction in the entire boat.
Planks, floor timbers, knees etc. have great strength because they follow the tree’s fibres. Therefore, all of these elements can be cut down to relatively small dimensions and still be strong. The planks, keel and frames are all a little flexible. Together, they result in a strong and flexible hull, which is a typical characteristic of open Nordic clinker-built boats, and which originates from pre-Viking Age boats.
