About research and experience
‘Research and experience’ on this website contains extracts from four of the voyage journals.
1. The Boatswain’s Journal: contains various observations on the hull, rigging, sail and rudder system.
2. The Trim Journal: describes how much in what way the ship is loaded with ballast and gear.
3. The Section Journal: describes the life of the crew on board.
4. The Sailing Manual: describes the handling of the ship in various manoeuvres.
The research carried out and experience collected from the voyage with the Sea Stallion will for the basis of the analysis of the authenticity of the reconstruction. In the research context, the reconstruction must be regarded as a hypothesis about the original ship, Skuldelev 2; the Sea Stallion is our interpretation of what remains of that ship. It is therefore essential for the ongoing analysis of the original ship to evaluate the hypothesis, just as it is vital for the reliability that can be placed upon the other research results (sailing data written down in the ship’s log book).
To evaluate the hypothesis, the Sea Stallion from Glendalough will be tested under realistic conditions in the waters the original ship was built to sail in. Will the ship function as intended under various manoeuvres in various weather conditions? If the ship does not function well, as a whole or in part, we will have to re-evaluate the reconstruction.
If both the ship as a whole and its individual parts function well, it gives plausibility to our interpretation and the reconstruction can be regarded as representative for the original ship.
It is also important to document the actual conditions for the crew on the journey. Even though we are not Vikings, the way we organise ourselves, make food, eat, sleep, rest, share watches, go to the toilet, entertain ourselves, etc. will be important as inspiration when considering the functions and seamanship required to sail the highly specialised longships of the Viking Age. This information will also form the basis for the description of living and working conditions on board, and for considerations about the organisation and logistics that lay behind the preparation and carrying out of long voyages in a 30-metre-long ship with a 65-man crew.
Finally, it is also our ambition to produce a manual on the handling of the Sea Stallion under sail and when rowed. Representing the longships of the Viking Age, such a manual could be compared with similar manuals from other reconstructions of Viking ships: trading ships, small boats and other square-rigged boats from this period. That will give a picture of how the various ships differed.
‘Research and experience’ will be written by shipbuilder Søren Nielsen from the boatyard at the Viking Ship Museum, and will be produced in collaboration with the rest of the crew. Søren Nielsen has taken part in the Museum’s work of building full-scale reconstructions of ships from archaeological finds since 1982. He is also head of the Viking Ship Museum’s boatyard and as such led the work of building the Sea Stallion from Glendalough.
» Download research plan...
‘Climb aboard’ contains stories. You can explore the building of the Sea Stallion through film clips, pictures and 3D models..