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INFORMATION FOR WORKSHEET - LESSON 8
Life on a Longboat
Viking boats were strong, fast and well-built but very small. A boat may
carry up to sixty people so it was very cramped. It was also wet and cold.
They carried their personal possessions in trunks which they sat on in the
boat when they were rowing. The sailors carried water in barrels. Animals
were also carried on the boat. The shields were hung over the edge of
the boat and there were holes in the side of the boat for the oars.
Navigation
The sailors had no maps or charts so instructions for sailing were passed
down by word of mouth. Later instructions were written down. The sun
and stars were useful to them at times. Some of them observed the
habits and direction of migrating birds.
Longboat Construction
First they selected a long, straight piece of oak for the keel.
The hull was made of wooden planks and nails or wooden pegs. The sails
were created out of brightly coloured cloth. The Vikings carved dragons
on the prows of the boats.
‘Running the Oars’
The Vikings tried to run along the oars without falling in the water.
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