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You may be wondering why anyone would ever want to spend the time and money to build a Viking (or any other medieval) craft...but for all the amateur boatbuilders out there, here goes!

Building Boats Using Medieval Techniques -- from the Rialto

Different opinions on how boats were built then.

These people actually did!

A month after starting out from Greenland, rudder problems have delayed the voyage until next summer. Check out their excellent site for more information.

Since it would be too expensive to build medieval boats exactly as they were made then, most people opt to use modern methods.

"Our mission is to educate the North American Peoples that Leif Ericson was the first European known to have discovered and settled on this continent in 1003AD nearly 500 years before Columbus. We use our Vikingship "Norseman" both to attract attention to our cause and to experience what it was like to travel on the water a thousand years ago. We celebrate Leif Ericson's day on October 9th."

"The Viking Navy designs, builds and sails Viking Ships. Formed in 1995 for people that would like to do a little Viking."

"The Longship Company was founded for educational purposes which are met by the operation of two replica viking ships. Fyrdraca is the larger of the two vessels and is a lap­strake 32' class A tallship. Our second vessel, Gyrfalcon, is much smaller."

"The mission of the Helge Ask vikingship is to collect experience of building, sailing and maintaining a single masted square sail viking vessel."

The only know remains of a Viking Canoe. They even sell plans for 20 bucks!

Many links to replica boat sites and also some general information.

The Aifur, a reconstructed Viking Age ship, sailed along the Viking Age routes from Novgorod to the Black Sea.

"In the 30s, the wreck of a 13th century merchant ship was found in Kalmar, Sweden. In 1994-95 the Naval museum of Karlskrona had a full scale replica built, Aluett."

A re-creation of the Gedesby wreck from the late 13th century.

"Helga Holm is a full scale replica of a medieval long ship, found at the excavations on Helgeandsholmen in central Stockholm in 1979-80."

A replica of John Cabot's ship from his 1497 voyage to 'New Founde Landes'.

Construction progress on the full scale replica of the Hjortspring Boat which was build around 350 BC and excavated in 1921 - 1922. Not exactly medieval, but a very interesting site nonetheless.

"The Batavia Yard in Lelystad, in The Netherlands is foremost a center for traditional shipbuilding."

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Last modified on Wednesday, August 27, 1997