A group doing a plywood Viking boat

[MikeStevenson]

This is an idea Peter and I toyed with off and on for some years. Now a group is doing an interesting plywood Viking boat and I'm looking forward to seeing more as it progresses.

http://www.vestrusvikingships.org/

Mike

[Greg Luckett]

Interesting. The boat shown looks wrong in the midships area, to me anyway. Too low.

[Mike Pennington]

I believe a top rail and ribs need to be added from the note below the pic.

Not a bad idea, I wonder if they will use stones for ballast?

Good link Mike!

[Greg Luckett]

Must be more of a top rail than I imagined. Even then, looking at the hull in the middle, she seems too shallow in the middle. Guess I must wait till the rest is added to understand it better.

I have always wanted a Viking vessel, but have not seen a real one up close. Now for a little homework and then to look at that picture again.

[Mike Pennington]

The boats are shallow, I will have to look for a pic. There was a builder featured in WB a few issues back. I thought the very same thing you did. Where's the boat? They do ride high in the water from what I remember of the article. The builder was using stone for ballast, my thought at the time was that he must be able to dump a lot of wind easily from the square sail.

But I am just guessing, I do believe she will be a fun ride, that

[Mike Pennington]

Check out these guys

http://www.angelfire.com/pa/mhsviking/

[Bill Paxton]

Viking boats - Now we're getting somewhere...

There is evidence to support the notion that Vikings may have visited as far inland as central Minnesota. Check it out at

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/6726/kensington/kensington.htm

Minnesotan Bob Asp built a 76' Viking ship that sailed from Duluth, MN to Bergen, Norway.

http://www.hjemkomst-center.com/ship/main.htm

Just after I had completed the keelson for my Weekender, a friend wandered into my garage. He looked at the stem which rose up and pointed foreward, and asked, "Are you building a Viking boat?" I just smiled.

[Greg Luckett]

That would explain all those Swedes up there

[ChrisObee]

There is evidence to support the notion that Vikings may have visited as far inland as central Minnesota.  Check it out at

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/6726/kensington/kensington.htm

I believe the runestone was debunked when examined by Swedish linguists.  Apparently the language carved on the stone is not appropriate to the 1500's.  Also there a number of second hand accounts that the person who "discovered" the runestone confessed to the hoax.  There is good evidence of some sort of commerce well down the east coast of the current US.  A viking coin was discovered at the bottom of a well used by natives of the era.