David Jones

Lille Draken is an ongoing practical archeology project to explore some of the mysteries surrounding craft at the turn of the first millennium including :-

• Underwater filming
• Rowing techniques and bindings
• The Bayeux tapestry interpretation
  
  

 

 

Research to date:

Use of leather bindings to connect to holes in keber (grown thole pins ) to make rowing over distance and shipping of oars easier
Filming of the formation of spiralling air bubbles as they form under the hull. These can be seen as tell tail bubble trails behind viking hulls.
Noted the use of blunt aerofoils when making rudders so that when steering the rudder is less prone to stalling when turning and less likely to vibrate when moving at speed.


Current research projects:

We are now exploring aspects of the Bayeux tapestry to show, hopefully, that not only did the shields mounted at either front or rear aid sailing but also that a form of spinnaker was used - triangular and twice the length of a normal sail, reefed not by lines but by use of a collar or by twisting the sail continually.

Some aspects of our research are to be found on this website, including video footage and pdf articles on the building of Lille Draken .

For Press Event Information for the 25th June event, please click here .