Deck-boards
The re-creation of the Hjortspring Boat
This part deals with our perception of the placement of deck boards in the boat. It differs from the National Museum's.
Manufacture of paddles and rudders.
Deck boards, paddles and rudders
Approx. 85 boards, tapered at each end, they are approx. 120 cm long, approx. 7-8 cm wide and about 1.5 cm thick.
Most were of linden, some of ash. We have interpreted them as deck-boards.
Rosenberg 2 believed that these boards should protect the seams at the bottom of the boat.
We disagree that there is a need for support for the feet when paddling, so we placed them on the deck beams 3 .
The first version of the bottom boards was too flimsy for those, perhaps, a little too heavy paddlers. They cracked.
So a whole new set was made in radially split ash. The picture is from May 2020.
An appropriate number of paddles had to be made. They are all individual, with differently shaped handles
and a length corresponding to the location in the boat. They must be longer fore and aft in the boat.
The blade on the paddle is very narrow. It is necessary with the high paddle rate - approx. 1.5 s pr. stroke.
The surface of the paddles must be very smooth at the handle.
The blade must be sharpened at the end so that it breaks the water in a good way.
A collection of paddles. Most are of ash, a single of linden and without a handle.
The stern of the Hjortspringbåden at the National Museum. However, the shown remnant of a rudder is found in the front end.
The steering oar is mounted in the starboard side aft of the "løfting" (deck) 4 .
A rudder is completed. The length of the rudder blade and shaft is our choice.
Rosenberg 5 mentions the possibility of some kind of paver???? at the cleats on the bow block. This is an attempt to make such a rudder bearing.
The rudder bearing set on the cleats of the bow block.
The rudder bearing mounted in place on the cleats and over the tension rope.
The National Museum's people are measuring the boat for a 3D model of our boat.
Here is a rudder in the paver???? 4 . The solution was rejected. It was too unstable, perhaps due to the stretch rope.
Instead, the rudder was attached to the rib (the hazel branch) at the aft rib-frame.
That location was used until the trials began with the people of the National Museum.
From the very first sailing. Note the position of the rudder aft (left).
The angle of the rudder - approx. 45 ° - gives a poor efficiency of the rudder 4 .
- Ib Stolberg-Rohr has selected and customized the images.
Notes and sources
- GR. p. 86
- Description of our work with the deck
- Description of our work with versions of the rudder location.
- GR. p. 88
- GR: Rosenberg, G., Hjortspringfundet