Experiences gained from the test sailing in 2004-2006 show that our reconstructed ship was to flexible. While sailing across the Skagerak in 2006, the ship was twisting so heavely in the water, that the treenails in the sheer - the uppermost enforcement of sides of the ship along the side - worked themselves out of place, while the stems were twisting about 30 cm towards each side.
Before setting out on our trial voyage to Dublin, the treenails in the sheer has been checked, and several of them has been enforced with new wedges. The different parts of the original ship has been looked through again, while thinking about ways to strengthen the reconstruction. To limit the flexibility of the reconstruction, the following ajustments have been made:
- Parallel to the length of the ship, and leveling with the sole, a reinforcement called a carling has been layed. It streches down the centre of the ship from fore to after, with the exception of the area near the mast, in which the mast fish and the keelson offers a sufficient amount of strengh and stiffness to the hull. The reconstruction of the carling is done based on traces seen on the original ship: In the only preserved biti (the beams, holding the sole) there are traces of what could be lock-off for this kind of reinforcement down the centre of the ship.
- To reinforce the ship diagonally towards the stems, the second to outermost piece of sole, has been spiked to the bitis. No preserved parts of the original 'Skuldelev 2' can confirme or invalidate this solution. But in the nowegian viking ship 'Osebergskibet' most of the sole has been spiked to the bitis. Two bitts in the forebody and two in the afterbody has been added. The bitts are used when belaying the rope from ship to land. At the same time they reinforce the 3 - 4 uppermost planks of the side of the ship, and this area was the one proving most flexible during the tests of the ship.
- The reconstruction of the four bitts is based on the finding of a similar futtock belonging to the original ship. But it is impossible to confirm or invalidate the idea of bitts in exactly this spot, asthis area of the original ship has not been preserved.
The sail and rigging has been checked and measured, and we found no reason to make changes there.
There has been a production of many spare parts for the ship and rigging. For example a spare rudder, spare blocks and an extra parrel. In addition a system is made for a quick installation of an emergency rudder.
MT