In order to proceed in installing next lined board, it is necessary to install a new piece insuringthe transition of this future board with the bow and the stern. This board is quite different from the others as it is the first one which can not be crafted in one only part, because of its length.
The two end ot bow and stern have been cut in order to receive two new pieces carved in oak. These two curved pieces are here to lengthen the ends of the drakkar and allow us to set the next boards higher, as it is usually on such a ship. They will also be used as support for the upcoming dragon figurehead.
Laborious but necessary step : we had to take off the two last boards in order to brush their border with tar. This operation is very important to seal the link between to boards and prevents us from having too many problems during the launch of the boat.
the building must go on : the fifth and sixth lined board are at last installed. These boards show the flared shape at the center of the hull, which will be even important with the next ones. Although we are far from the end of the building, the bátar begins to look like an actual boat !
In order to carry out this delicate operation, we crafted three bending jigs spread all along the keel, helping us to give such shapes to the boards and follow the outline of a drakkar. These two boards have been bolted to the border of the previous boards.
The two first boards have been directly set in the keel, the bow and the stern after 24 to 48 hours spend in the water to soften them. In order to give them the desired shape and maintain them in their position, we used a lot of burdens , as you can see on the picture. This operation was quite difficult to carry out.
Let's get into one of the most beautiful step of the building : the installation of the lined board ! First hings first, we cut the board with a "gruminette" lengthwise in a oaken trunk. Before being set, the board obviously has to be transformed and resized in order to switch from a gross piece of wood to a fine piece of four to five meters in length, sixteen centimeters of width and one centimeter and a half thick. All that work is done with the jointer planer and a circular saw.
We continue the building with two nexw pieces: the stern and the bow. And here is a little preview of the pattern we will used to position the boards at the right place along the keel, with the right shape (isn't it a bit more clear now?).
After crafting a cuboid in the oak, we hav cut the trunk in order to give it a T shape. The cut has been mede with a circular saw and with a bandsaw. The ends have been cut to receive the stern and the bow. Then, we sanded down the upper and under sides to give them smooth curves. Finally, we cut the sides in order give the keel an elliptic shape. Then, to finish the job, we fixed the crevices and varnished the whole piece so that she is protected from the weather.
First things first, we cut a huge oak tree in several three meters pieces and one of four meters (the future keel). This operation was made with axes and saw (like in the good old times !). Next, after a tough transport to the soute, we begun the cut with a gruminette in order to remove any imperfection of the trunk (bark, bumps, etc.).
