Paul Cunningham, retired newspaper photographer, recorded the building of a Viking knarr later christened Snorri. Throughout the seven-month process, Cunningham revisited the site many times, curiosity having gotten the better of him.
Professional photographer, Paul Cunningham recorded history through his lens as he witnessed a small band of boat builders in Maine create a sea-worthy vessel, the likes of which had not been seen on the water for a thousand years.
The Viking ship is one of the most iconic images of the Viking Age. As well as including well-known vessels such as the spectacular ship-burials from Gokstad and Oseberg in southern Norway, Viking Ships introduces the newly-conserved Roskilde 6 ship from Denmark. Measuring at over 37 metres, this is the longest Viking ship ever discovered and will form the core of the touring exhibition Vikings: life and legend. The Vikings used their shipbuilding skills to command the sea; their famous ships permitted the exploration, colonization and the raids for which they are best known. This book will explore the evolution of their sea-going vessels and celebrate this outstanding feature of the Viking Age.
Fascinated since childhood with Leif Eriksson’s triumphant sailing voyage a thousand years ago from Greenland to North America, Hodding Carter could not shake his admittedly crazy idea of reenacting Eriksson’s epic journey in a precise replica of the precarious Viking cargo ship known as a knarr. This extraordinary book is the account of how he pulled it off. By turns thrilling and slapstick, sublime and outrageous, A Viking Voyage is an unforgettable adventure story that will take you to the heart of some of the most magnificent, unspoiled territory on earth, and even deeper, to the heart of a journey like no other. A celebration of the people and places Carter visits and a treasure-trove of fascinating Viking lore, here is an unforgettable story of friendship and teamwork–and the thrill of accomplishing a goal that once seemed impossible.
In 1997, journalist and history buff W. Hodding Carter, along with a band of amateur sailers, set out to retrace Leif Eriksson's journey to North America. They sailed in a handmade ship modeled after a traditional Viking "knarr." It was the first voyage by Westerners to precisely follow the Vikings' route in nearly 1000 years. The chronicle of this voyage is told in this book, through photographs and colorful running text.
Viking To Victorian explores the use of iron in shipbuilding, from the Viking Age until the 1880s, when iron was abandoned in ship construction. The saving of historical ships built with the use of iron is emphasized. The author's practical knowledge and experience in building of iron riveted Viking ships, restoring Iap-streak long boats and his many voyages in open boats are highlighted. This book demonstrates that open boats built of iron and wood enabled the Norse to sail far and wide on the high seas. Simple, light and delicate vessels, that are lacking in comfort are capable of surviving long voyages and rough seas. The Use Of Iron in traditional Norwegian longboats and the stamp marks in the iron ships "Hansteen" and "Star of India", both built in the 1860s, have given new understanding to the importance of keeping the old iron. Publications on iron in shipbuilding are almost non-existent. This is an attempt to inspire further research, to help develop a more reflected attitude towards the protection of old products made with the world's most common material, iron. Viking To Victorian is an untraditional book, in that it combines academically oriented material with personal experience, descriptions and views. It is based on knowledge of boat building, sailing and navigation with traditional boats, and experience in the preservation of historic vessels. It reflects the new field this segment of maritime history represents, where much knowledge comes from traditional skill and non-academic sources. This book is a unique synthesis of practical and academic knowledge. It is the ultimate guide to the understanding and protection of historic artifacts made of iron.
Greg Rossel grew up cruising the waters of New York Harbor and spending time in the boatyards on the south shore of Staten Island where economics (more than anything else) made wooden boats the craft of choice. He makes his home in Maine where he specializes in the construction and repair of small wooden boats, as well as writing for several publications. Greg has been an instructor at WoodenBoat School in Maine since the mid-1980's, teaching lofting, skiff building, and the "Fundamentals of Boatbuilding".
Much like Greek and Roman mythology, Norse myths are still with us. Famous storytellers from JRR Tolkien to Neil Gaiman have drawn their inspiration from the long-haired, mead-drinking, marauding and pillaging Vikings. Their creator is a thirteenth-century Icelandic chieftain by the name of Snorri Sturluson. Like Homer, Snorri was a bard, writing down and embellishing the folklore and pagan legends of medieval Scandinavia. Unlike Homer, Snorri was a man of the world—a wily political power player, one of the richest men in Iceland who came close to ruling it, and even closer to betraying it... In Song of the Vikings, award-winning author Nancy Marie Brown brings Snorri Sturluson's story to life in a richly textured narrative that draws on newly available sources.
The insights and wisdom of the late, great boat designer and builder Renowned as one of the last and best of the old-time boatbuilders, Captain R. D.“Pete” Culler provided a guiding light for the wooden boat revival in the 1970s. His designs are classic melds of elegance and utility; his workmanship was akin to artistry; and his teaching and writing a blend of clarity, good sense, insight, and humor. This book brings together the complete texts of Culler’s classic works Boats, Oars, and Rowing and Skiffs & Schooners, along with articles from The Mariner’s Catalogs and a selection of his timeless boat designs.