Draken Harald Hårfagre
Draken Harald Hårfagre () is a large Viking longship built in the municipality of Haugesund, Norway. "Draken Harald Hårfagre" brings the seafaring qualities of a warship from the old Norse sagas to life. It is a ship that combines ocean-crossing sailing capabilities with a warship's use of oars.
Viking raid warfare and tactics
Expansion of Viking settlements in the 9th and 10th centuries was due to exploration of rivers. The ships used by these Norsemen were essential to this exploration and allowed expansion and colonization. The traditional Viking ship is believed to be a "Gokstad" ship. It was close to 28 meters long and five meters wide. These long narrow ships could accommodate 50–60 seamen who powered the ship by rowing. The ships were built from strong oak, and split with axes so the grain in between the ship's planks meshed together. Pine was also a material that was used to build ships. Typically, in western and northern Norway, Vikings would use pine to build their ships, but it would depend on the areas's resources. There was a relatively short mast that was used for gathering speed rather than steering, which was instead accomplished with a single rudder in the stern. These boats are known to draft close to a meter of water. Viking longships were built with speed and resilience in mind, which allowed Norse builders to craft strong yet elegant ships. This can also relate to early "hit-and-run" Viking raid tactics, which they needed fast ships to execute with. Later adaptations of these "long ships" were built with a deeper hull for transporting goods, but what they added in hull depth and durability they sacrificed in speed and mobility.