Types of Viking Boats
Between the 9th and 13th centuries, the Vikings built and used some of the most advanced boats of the period. These ships symbolized the Viking culture. Viking ships typically were constructed of planks split from old-growth trees, which were then overlapped and held together with iron rivets. This form of construction provided strong, seaworthy vessels that were also lightweight and flexible. The Vikings used these boats to trade, explore, and conduct warfare and raids in faraway lands.
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The Longship
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The longship, the most well-known of the Viking ships, was a long, narrow shallow draft boat that could travel long distances. Pointed at both ends and wider in the center, the longship was equipped with oars and square sails to allow for movement with or without wind. The largest were likely over 50m in length, could carry 200 to 300 men, and travel at speeds of up to 15 knots. In warfare, longboats were used primarily as transport vessels.
Types of Longships
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There were several types of longships. The Snekkja was one of the most common Viking boats. It was a smaller, narrow longship used for war and travel. The Snekkja typically was less than 20m in length, and had space for 20 pairs of oars. It was seaworthy, yet light enough to drag up onto the beach. The Skeide was one of the largest longships, and could carry over 30 pairs of oars. It was built more for speed than capacity. The Busse was another large longship, with more cargo and passenger capacity than the Skeide.
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Cargo Ships
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The Vikings had both heavy and light merchant ships. The Knarr were heavier cargo vessels, having a rounder hull, relatively fewer oars, and greater relative width than the longships. Knarr could be around 16m long, and carry approximately 40 tons of cargo. They depended primarily on sails for movement, and were built for seaworthiness and capacity rather than speed. The Byrding was a lighter weight merchant ships that was used to travel down Russian rivers, and onward to Byzantium and the Caspian Sea.
Smaller Boats
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The vast majority of Viking boats were small vessels used to transport people and goods locally and for fishing. The Karve was an example of such a boat. Karves typically were around 6m in length, with 13 to 16 pairs of oars. There also were smaller boats called Skutes, propelled primarily by sails. These smaller boats had the advantage of light weight and low draft. Therefore, they could travel through shallower water, and allowed for greater portability than the larger Viking ships.
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