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Construction of Serpent ships
Lumber Lumber is selected for the construction of an 80 foot serpent, with 20 benches. Hot wax is painted to the ends of each piece to aid in the preventing of warpage during construction.
Keel and Hull The keel is carved, set, heavily laquered, and tested. The planks forming the hull (strakes) are approximately one inch thick. The stakes are riveted to the lip of the keel and then to each other. The rivets are approximately three inches long. The bottom inside edge of the strakes have clinked with yarn coated in tar. The rivets are placed from the outside of the strakes through the inside. Once in place, a metal washer, called a rho, is placed over the end of the rivet, and the rivet's end is bent to lock it into place. When the strakes are not long enough to reach from bow to stern, a scraf joint is used to join the ends of two strakes together. The ends of the strakes are planned down to an angle and attached using rivets and rhos. The edge of the joint faces away from the bow to make it more water tight. The hull is built free standing up to the tenth strake which is the water line. The tenth strake is thicker than the rest of the strakes. The first set of ribs is formed to fix the shape of the hull and fastened solidly only on the ends. On the inside of the first nine strakes are cleats, a raised wood block with a notch that accommodates the underside of the rib. Two holes were drilled into the rib at the point above the cleat and one hole is drilled on each side of the cleat. Rope is woven through these holes. This is the only means of support below the water line. This helps give the ship the flexibility needed to handle the waves on the Thassa. On top of these ribs are placed crossbeams, which provide support for the deck planking. The deck planks are not fastened to the crossbeams, thus enabling access to the area below for the use of storage or baling water. The next step is to attach the second set of ribs. They sit on top of the crossbeams and go up to the 14th strake. These ribs are cut to fit the form of the hull and are securely fastened with treenails (long wood dowels). Two more strakes are added. The third set of ribs are located six inches behind every other rib. This set is completely independent of the first and second set of ribs and begin at the tenth strake and end at the gunnel. They add strength, but still allow flexibility. The 16th strake is the last strake and has the gunnel attached to it. The gunnel is a plank 3.25" x4.5" and is fastened to the inside edge of the strake. A 1" board caps off the gunnel.
The 14th strake contains the oar ports. The oar ports are circular with a notch. The notch allows the crew to install the oars from the inside of the boat.
Mast Supports Drakkor/Panther class serpents are mostly navigated in shallow fjord and rivers (raiding ships). Most times they are rowed by the crew than sailed in the wind. The masts on longboats are design to be stepped down (taken down) with ease. By taking the mast down, the boat becomes more stable and the drag is reduced.
Two structures are used to secure the mast, beside the stays (rigging): the keelson, or old woman, and the fish. The keelson is a log that laid directly on top of the keel. The length of the log is often half the length of the ship, so that the mast's weight will be evenly distributed along the keel. The end of the mast will fit into a hole carved into the log. Directly above the keelson, at deck level, is the fish, named so because of its shape. The fish is carved from a trunk with a branch growing perpendicular to it. A hole is bored directly behind the branch. The branch prevents forward and some side-to-side movement of the mast. Once the mast is in place, it is wedged tightly into place at deck level. When the yard (the pole which the top of the sail is attached on a square-rigged sail) is hoisted up the mast, it is carried by the mast yoke. The yoke is made of a series of wooden beads that roll up and down the mast. When the mast is stepped down, it will rest on the mast rests, located fore and aft of the fish. The Rudder The rudders on serpent ships are simple in design. They are basically an oar attached to the side at the stern of the ship. The blade end of the rudder is lower in the water than the keel. At the opposite end, the tiller bar is attatched, and will be used by the helmsman to control the angle of the rudder blade. At the its midpoint, the rudder pivots on a wart. The rudder is attached to the wart by a rope. The wart will allow the helmsman to pivot the rudder above the keel, or the waterline, so that the ship can be easily beached, and for easier navigation in shallow fjords or rivers. The rudder of this ship is 12.5 feet long with a 16 inch wide blade. The rudder is controlled by a tiller bar 40 inches in length. Carvings Carvings are set on the fore and aft. On the fore prow, is a tarn's head (or whatever the commissioner of the ship desires), aft is be a Torvald circle (or again, whatever the commissioner of the ship desires).
Sail A sail is made of strong, light rep canvas and covers 523 sq ft..
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