Skuldelev ships

They are thought to have been an early form of blockship, i.e. ships that were scuttled to block potential invasions from the sea.

The ship was constructed in Sognefjorden in western Norway around 1030 A. D. from thick planks of pine, but has been repeatedly repaired with oak and linden wood during its lifetime, in the Oslo Fjord and in Eastern Denmark.

The ship was on exhibit in Dublin until the summer of 2008, at which time it sailed back to Roskilde, arriving on 9 August.

With a crew of 5-8 and a 45 m2 sail as its primary power, Skuldelev 3 would have been well-suited for shorter journeys in Danish waters and the Baltic Sea.

It was decided to remove Skuldelev 4 from the catalogue with the remaining ships keeping their original designation, to avoid confusion.

It is made from a mixture of wood types with oak, pine, ash and alder, and was built around 1030 in the Roskilde area.

[3] Roskilde Viking Ship Museum has replicated Skuldelev 5 as the replica Helge Ask.

Skuldelev 6 is an 11.2 m long and 2.5 m wide vessel of unknown purpose (probably fishing orientated), equipped with oars and a sail.

[3] Skuldelev 6 has been replicated as Kraka Fyr in 1998 by the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum.

While also staying true to the original remains, Skjoldungen has a different interpretation of the bow and stern design.