This post is a small ode to what I believe to be an art form with ancient roots, the art of shipbuilding.
See the featured image at the start. It’s the Oseberg Karve viking ship from ancient times. Layed down around the year 800, it’s a magnificent specimen of (viking) shipbuilding history. One could spend hours watching its details on display in Oslo Norway…and we did last September when we were on holidays in Norway. Historians aren’t absolutely sure it had ever actually sailed, however it probably had before it was used as part of a burial mound. The latter being the reason why it has been preserved so well. Some of its characteristics:
21,5m long. 5,10m broad. 9 to 10m mast height. 90 square meters of sail. 30 oarsmen. 10 knts max sailing speed. Absolutely awesome given the period it was built in! What makes the vessel so breathtaking is the detailing put in the woodcarving on its hull.
When in Oslo I’d recommend visiting this piece of shipbuilding art at the Vikingskiphuset in Oslo on the Bygdøy peninsula, it will be well worth the visit. Apart from the Oseberg ship you’ll also find the Gokstad and Tune ships along with a great collection of artifacts discovered at the three burial sites.

In modern days shipbuilding is still very much an art form. From the design phase until delivery, the route to getting there is marked by an iterative process of redesign to builder and client spec and sculpting the vessel into form. Like other crafts this involves making use of skilled labor and experience, but it also involves making mistakes and either correcting these mistakes or incorporating them in the original design in agreement with the client. As an example while building and outfitting we occasionally make use of temporary rigging or lifting tools. In some cases they could be of use to a client while in operation to, so it could be beneficial to the crew to take over these tools.

The process of building involves many trades. Steel fitting, welding, pipe fitting, mechanical fitting, commissioning and painting are just a few to be mentioned. Each of which one could spend many hours talking and writing about! Fascinating when you think about it. A specific skill to mention is the fairing skill. This is the art of introducing heat into steel and steel structures in order to resolve deformities. It is a skill which cannot be learned from a textbook or YouTube how-to video. It involves many years of practice. The true masters of this skill know how en where to introduce heat, but also when to stop. They are able to judge correct heat input levels by watching the level of coloring of the steel parts (steels starts to glow increasingly red when heated). I’ve watched them do it, and am always amazed by their skill.

Upcoming posts will touch on these different trades and skills to give more insight in the art of shipbuilding. I’ll try not to make them too technical, but will illustrate with images. See for example the second image above, it’s a collage of pictures from different phases of construction still mainly on the slipway still. Also follow me on Instagram and Twitter to get a glimpse from the shipbuilding industry and into my professional world.

Thanks for reading!