Gokstad Faering - Design Study

[flo-mo]

This is one of my all time favorit wooden boat designs: The Gokstad Faering (21'4" x 4'6")









Three links for more information:

http://home.online.no/~joeolavl/viki...tadfaering.htm

http://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/...-from-gokstad/

http://eesti-viikingid.ee/ehitatud-l...viikingipaadid

[Tony_C]

Have you got the panel layouts?
The real question is how many sheets of ply will it take?

[WCM]

Very nice.
I've been fortunate to have seen the original in Oslo, Norway.
The Gokstad faering is a good example of a purpose built craft that is also a thing of great beauty in the best sense of "form follows function".

[aldebaran]

Very nice flomo

I saw a copy of it in Denmark this summer. I dont know why, but I liked the Oselver färing better. But its like chosing between a good Bourgogne and a good Bourdeux

Now that you´re here: Any news about the building of Romax:
http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...boat&highlight

[flo-mo]

The Oselvar faering OF (plan from this site: http://www.mildebatlag.org/oselvarkl...-28nov2000.pdf)





The Gokstad Faering GF




There are obvious similarities in the way these faerings are built.

The OF is a sturdy craft that is still used. It is rowed as well as sailed and seems to be more seaworthy than the GF.
As far as I know only a few replicas of the GF exist - some of them equiped with a sail although I think its a rowboat in the first place. The elegant lines and the high stems are part of what makes this boat so appealing (maybe it is the resemblence to the large Viking ships) but I am wondering about the performance of the GF in various conditions.

Chris Cunningham, the editor of Sea Kayaker magazine and author of "Building the Greenland Kayak: A Manual for its Construction and Use" should know a lot about the GF's performance. He has built a GF and made a 1100 mile row from Washington State to Juneau, Alaska. Alas I could not find any information about this journey.

Two pictures of a quick and dirty paper model:

[Peerie Maa]

There are obvious similarities in the way these faerings are built.

The OF is a sturdy craft that is still used. It is rowed as well as sailed and seems to be more seaworthy than the GF.
As far as I know only a few replicas of the GF exist - some of them equiped with a sail although I think its a rowboat in the first place. The elegant lines and the high stems are part of what makes this boat so appealing (maybe it is the resemblence to the large Viking ships) but I am wondering about the performance of the GF in various conditions.

I believe that the Gokstad faering was intended to be rigged. If not then there would have been no rudder provided.

There is an interesting comparison between the Shetland Ness yoal/Fair Isle yoal and the Shetland faering.
The yoal, like the Goksdat is longer in proportion.

Whilst the Oselver and Shetland fourern are shorter on the same beam.

[flo-mo]

Rowing and sailing pictures of the Gokstad Faering Replica Freydis Johanna with the original comments from this website:

"Freydis Johanna was trial rowed and trial sailed. First, it was tested with three men on board
and then with two men on board. We set the sails loosely with screw clamp before we decided where the holes in the hull should be bored.

The little Gokstad boat is a fun boat to sail. The sail fits perfectly and the boat has good balance."



]

[AJZimm]

Nice to see this replica in action.

I remember seeing the original years ago in Oslo as well, and my first thought on looking at it was how little we have progressed in the last 1,000 years, at least in terms of small boats

[Gerarddm]

That is an exquisite small craft.

[shade of knucklehead]

This link

http://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/...-from-gokstad/

Is absolutely amazing....

[Grzegorz]

hello Fo-mo,
great work with GF. I admire your other plans also. unfortunetly both fearings - oselvar and goksted are too long for my shop :-(
but I have a question:
if you would be to build boat according to lines of the boat found in the Viking grave at Arby
http://www.sjolander.com/viking/museum/Arbyboat.gif
which plywood would you use? 4 mm? 6 mm? building rather plywood lapstrake style the boat is about 4 meters long.
I know that Gerrie Warner has a plans of that boat (probably better interpretation of lines that in the link above), but part of a fun is to try find out by myself how to do it.
I start to think about my next building when jonboat will leave my garage.
I`ve build one pram (I. Oughtred plans), but she is obviously to short for longer trip, although surprisingly seaworthy. Well, as for now rather lakeworthy...

[Peerie Maa]

You will have to compromise the shape if you want to do it in ply. That bottom strake and the next one up are hewn from solid to achieve those curves. Still its an interesting construction with that wide ram plank. I'd go for 6mm. There is no structural keel, so you need beefy plank. What thickness was the original boats plank?

[stromborg]

This link

http://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/...-from-gokstad/

Is absolutely amazing....

I'm not sure "amazing" does it justice.

The series of pictures showing the winged stem being hewed out to create lands for the planks just plain stopped me in my tracks.

Steve

[Grzegorz]

You will have to compromise the shape if you want to do it in ply. That bottom strake and the next one up are hewn from solid to achieve those curves. Still its an interesting construction with that wide ram plank. I'd go for 6mm. There is no structural keel, so you need beefy plank. What thickness was the original boats plank?

yes, of course, the shape would not be the same. it would not be a reconstruction but interpretation of the plans which are aproximation.
you are absolutely right, now I can see it, indeed bottom strake should be beefy. My guess, looking at the plan, is that plank were 2 cm (3/4") thick. A lot of as for a viking style boat, maybe i was less? Keel, although not structurale, was about 4 cm.
I think that there could three options:
1. make molds/frames according to plan, put it on heeling upside/downside, satart planking lapstrake/clinker plywood adding stem etc. Iain Oughtred way, elegant, efficient. add keel after.
2. start with a keel, put it upside/upside, than add beefy bottom strake, stem and start to think what do next. let the wood (plywood) guide me
3. as above - start with keel upside/upside and bottom strake and stems. And now put stringers and go skin on frame method. a little bit ridiculous. vikings meet innuits. historicaly possible :-)

anyhow thank you, I feel inspired,
and sorry fo-mo for the attempt to kidnap thread...

[Peerie Maa]

My recommendation would be to attach the stems to the ram plank. Then you can build either upside down or rightside up on molds. Outside keel goes on last.

[Estonian viking]

Hi, nice 3-D model and nice study on Faering boats, guys!
BTW, flo-mo, what 3D design tool are you using for your models and layouts? Your model is missing few things at steering rudder, is this connected to your modelling software somehow? Why I am asking, just I am building viking ships and boats and would be good to have suggestions on design tools, used for 3D ship modelling and layouting

[brucehallman]

I just modeled this Gokstad Færing too, mostly because I was curious about the expanded strake layout. This is a remarkable "six panel" boat, very curvy with just six panels. And, the panels fall nicely on long straight expanded boards. This shape Could also be nicely adapted to plywood strake construction, and quickly built, yielding an excellent rowboat.

[Estonian viking]

Good, but somehow very angular. I just see it and it is something I do not want to build Viking ship desing should have 0 angles, it is smooth, curvy, it is basis to all we know as modern yahts design. And as I am here to get information, ist this Delftship you are using for modeling? No offence, just curious.

[Estonian viking]

There is very nice video according to Gokstad Faerings - little competition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Joghp...ature=youtu.be

[brucehallman]

Good, but somehow very angular. I just see it and it is something I do not want to build Viking ship desing should have 0 angles, it is smooth, curvy, it is basis to all we know as modern yahts design. And as I am here to get information, ist this Delftship you are using for modeling? No offence, just curious.

I use the GPL version of Delftship, Free!Ship V2.6. Did not all Viking ships have strakes? Here we have only three strakes per side, six total. Boats are always a compromise, and this boat (I think) is a very nice compromise; achieving a lot of beauty and seaworthiness using a small number of pieces.

[Tony_C]

Mr O has plans for a faering already adapted for ply:
http://www.jordanboats.co.uk/JB/Iain...0&%20Elfyn.pdf

[Wayne Poulsen]

Hi Bruce
Could you post that file for me to play with?
Wayne Poulsen
Fremantle
West Australia

[Wayne Poulsen]

Bruce
I also meant to say thanks for your freeship sharing, most especially the bolgers.
I hadnt been able to open them up before but ive just reinstalled delftship after some problems and it now runs your stuff just fine.
Infinite fun!
Thanks
Wayne

[Estonian viking]

Yes, brucehallman, sure the viking boats have lapstrake planking and viking boats and ships are really beautiful. I ment stem and stern look not so smooth curved but I think it's because of DelftShip.

[flo-mo]

Hi, nice 3-D model and nice study on Faering boats, guys!
BTW, flo-mo, what 3D design tool are you using for your models and layouts? Your model is missing few things at steering rudder, is this connected to your modelling software somehow? Why I am asking, just I am building viking ships and boats and would be good to have suggestions on design tools, used for 3D ship modelling and layouting

The program I am using is New Wave Systems' ProSurf 3. You can download a free demo-version: http://www.newavesys.com/sname.htm

For modeling the Gokstad Faering ( -- the same applies to my other design-studies in different degree) I made some simplifications because my main interest is the hull shape and to be able to get information about the hydrostatics so I can compare the various designs. Of course the program enables you to do all the details as well but this is not what I intended to do and it would be a lot more work to do than simply modeling the hull.
Another interesting feature of the program is plate developing which is quite accurat as far as I can tell (The quality of the output depends on the quality of your input). For panel-layout I am using autocad (you can export the developed panels as dxf-files and proceed with any other cad-progam as well).

[brucehallman]

...stem and stern look not so smooth curved but I think it's because of DelftShip.

Don't blame the software, the angularity at the stem and stern is because I didn't take the time to smooth those curves. The reason for that is that I was in a hurry, and only was interested in examining the expansions of the strakes for this boat.

To that end, I noticed that the straking of this boat was unlike any boat that I can recall. (And, I have studied hundreds of boats.)

And, I REALLY like the straking of this six panel boat! Very efficient and elegant.

[Estonian viking]

Don't blame the software, the angularity at the stem and stern is because I didn't take the time to smooth those curves. The reason for that is that I was in a hurry, and only was interested in examining the expansions of the strakes for this boat.

I am looking for good tool for modeling my viking ships and boats I am building, seems you have experience with DelftShip - can you tell, is it possible to make in Delftship also keel and mast and other parts and to connect them to hull in proper way with not so much trouble and struggling?

[MN Dave]

The sewn boats are similar. There is a strake pattern for the Gokstad Faering here: http://www.fotevikensmuseum.se/sewnboat/tunaboat/rcomp.html

[Christopher Cunningham]

Hi flo-mo,
Chris Cunningham here. I'm pleased to see the interest in the Gokstad faering. As you noted, I didn't write about my Inside Passage journey with my faering ROWENA. I had written about all of my other trips in small boats and decided to take a break and enjoy the travel without a notebook in hand. The faering was a remarkable boat. I wanted to build it simply because it was the most beautiful small boat I'd ever seen. It was a difficult boat to build but well worth the effort. It lived up to its looks in the water: very fast under oars and quite seaworthy for its low freeboard. I was amazed at how flat it left the water astern. I sold the boat after the trip. It's in the Seattle area and in good hands. When I look at it now it's hard to believe that it served as living quarters for two for the best part of two months.

[emf]

Hey Chris, Eric Friberg from Bellingham. Would love to hear more about your Alaska trip in the Faering. I heard of the story but thought it was just a mith.
Here is a pic of a Gokstad faering style boat I made 10 years ago.14' x4'

[upchurchmr]

Flo-mo,

Would you be willing to provide a copy of the panel layouts? I really liked your paper model and would like to duplicate it. Something as simple as a .JPG would do. DFX is beyond my capability, I've never looked into Delftship or any of the others.

Thanks,

Marc

[flo-mo]

Flo-mo,

Would you be willing to provide a copy of the panel layouts? I really liked your paper model and would like to duplicate it. Something as simple as a .JPG would do. DFX is beyond my capability, I've never looked into Delftship or any of the others.

Thanks,

Marc

Here you can find Pdf-downloads of plans for a simple paper model (the keel has the thickness of the paper or cardboard you use and is attached after the hull is assembled) and for a wooden model with a keel that would equal a thickness of one inch. The building method corresponds to stitch and glue and there are a lot of simplifications. Nevertheless the hull shape is close to the original.

Have fun.

[upchurchmr]

Flo-mo,

Thanks very much, I will probably make both yours and Bruce's just for fun.

I am also going to send this to a friend since I keep trying to get his son interested in boats. Paper models are easier than full scale to catch the interest of a 10 yo.

[flo-mo]

Have you got the panel layouts?
The real question is how many sheets of ply will it take?

Yes and the answer is 4.




This is for a stitch and glue version made of 4 sheets of 9mm plywood which in no way will have the grace and beauty of the original but I think it should not be a difficult boat to build.

[upchurchmr]

Flo-Mo,

I have never done lapstrake.

Any suggestion on how far to overlap the strakes when I make the paper model? Lets assume a 12" model.

Marc