GOKSTAD (IXTH CENTURY VIKING SHIP)

Drakkar, was the largest of the types of ships used by the Vikings (langskipy). Units of this type could be up to 45 meters in length and had up to 34 pairs of oars, but more often drakkars were built with a length of about 20 to about 35 meters. Drakkars were offshore units that allowed them to freely sail in the North Sea or the Baltic Sea. At the same time, however, due to their shallow draft, they were perfect for sailing on European rivers, such as the Volga and the Seine. Drakkars also had plating built on the so-called overlap, and their hulls most often had a width to length ratio of 7: 1, which made them very slender and allowed them to achieve very high speeds, perhaps 13-15 knots. They were also characterized by a very solid structure and high seaworthiness. Both oars and a single square sail were used as propulsion. Each drakkar on the stem had a dragon head carving, which was probably supposed to deter the guardian deities of the plundered city or settlement.