Skuldelev 5

Skuldelev 5 - The small longship

Skuldelev 5 is one of the smallest long ship in a war fleet, and is ideal for sailing in Danish coastal waters and through the short, choppy waves of the Baltic.
Unlike the other Skuldelev ships, this ship is built using both new wood and recycled timber. A few years before the ship is sunk in the barrier, it is repaired with both new and recycled wood. We do not know why the ship is built this way, but the construction and repairs are carried out by skilled boatbuilders.

Along the sheerstrake there are fragments of the shield-rack, and on the 6th strake on the port side aft there are traces of a carved decoration.

The Viking Ship Museum's reconstruction of Skuldelev 5, Helge Ask, is on display at the Museum Harbour.

Dating: ca. 1030
Place of construction: Denmark
Preserved: ca. 50 %
Material: oak, pine, ash and alder
Length: 17.3 metres
Breadth: 2.5 metres
Draught: 0.6 metres
Displacement: 7.8 tons
No. of oars: 26
Crew: ca. 30 men
Sail area: 46 m2
Average speed: 6-7 knots
Top speed: ca. 15 knots