Dragon Head
This dragon head is what we expect a dragon to look like these days, although, it does not look much like the ancient heads. The actual dragon heads on Viking ships were smaller, rounder and often rich in carved details. They were also removable, the idea was that you would remove the fierce dragon head when you were coming home so you would not scare the good spirits.
The Hull
This ship is inspired by the Oseberg Ship which is a burial ship from around 800 BC. The actual ship can be seen at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway.
The hull is hand built piece by peace. Strakes are carefully glued together one after the other and held in place with special clamps. It is a slow and quiet process.
Strakes
The planks of the hull, the ‘strakes’, are very thin wood and are securely held together along their whole length with the wood glue. The bottom strake is called the ‘gar strake’ and this is the one that attaches directly to the keel. Each strake has it’s own specific shape and is carefully cut accordingly.
Decking
The decking is carefully built of many small planks so they break apart to leave little trace of what they were.
Mast and Yard
In the middle of the decking is the hole for the mast. Because every ship is hand built and there are no two exactly alike, the decking is hand fitted after the hull is complete. Tip: When pouring the cremains into the open hull, keep a finger over the open mast hole. We have found out by experience that if you fill the hole with cremains, it is difficult to put the mast in place.
Coin Under the Mast
Under each mast is a coin. This ritual is believed to have started in ancient Roman or Grecian times. It is common to find a coin under the masts of ships that are thousands of years old. One belief is that the coin, or coins, are for safe payment to the god Cyrus for safe passage into the afterlife. The more current version is that it is sort of a pre-payment to Davey Jones to keep the ship and her crew safe. Today it is common for our US Navy to weld coins to the base of the highest point of their ship, which is usually the radar mast. Your ship will have a special coin in place to ensure a safe journey.
Construction Details
There are no fasteners used in the building of your ship. No nails, rivets, screws or metal at all. The ship is build entirely of wood and glue. A few days after your ship sinks the glue dissolves and all the pieces of the ship gently come apart. The gentle motion of the water dissipates the ship and the cremains are naturally and gracefully dispersed.
Fire Kit
We use real cannon fuse as the sole pyrotechnic on this ship. Cannon fuse is stable, has a predictable burn rate and is very safe to store.
Early on we thought a big explosion at the end would be really cool. After considering the idea we decided against doing that. It would be exciting but we did not want anyone getting hurt and we didn’t want to set any accidental fires. Someone pointed out that if ashes got blown sky high it would be unpleasant if they landed on the family and friends.
We considered bottle rockets and other fireworks and decided that safety was more important. So we did not develop those features.
We considered flammable liquids to pour on the ship and decided against that. We had some spectacular results with black powder, but storage, safety and shipping would be a problem.
We tried a big fire on the deck using wood shavings, but that did not work very well. When they were heaped on the deck it interfered with the beautiful lines of the ship and they did not like to stay in place. The flames were hot, fast and bright but they did not ignite the shields and decking.
We needed something that was stable, repeatable, waterproof, easy to store, clean to handle, easy to install, fun to watch, and burned bright and hot. Cannon fuse turned out to be the best answer.
What Happens after Ignition?
Moments after the loaded ship is placed on the water the fuse at the stern is lit. The brilliant flame travels along the starboard side of the decking. When the flame gets to the bow, it makes a turn and comes down the port side of the ship. When it gets amid ships it heads over to the mast where it ignites the canon fuse sewn right into the sail.
The sail goes up brilliantly with plenty of smoke and flame. Often the yard, the long piece of wood at the top of the sail, burns quietly after the sail is finished burning.
Within a few minutes the entire ship quietly slips beneath the water. These last few minutes are usually very quiet and touching.
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