"Gislinge Boat" Replica by Chesapeake Light Craft

This is a plywood-epoxy replica of the 12th-century "Gislinge Boat," built by Chesapeake Light Craft. The boat is 25'4" (7.7m) long and 5'7" (1.7m) wide. Fully rigged, with ballast, the boat weighs about 975lbs (442kg). In the future we will be offering this boat in the form of a CNC-cut kit.
In 1993, archeologists excavated a boat near the village of Gislinge (GISS-ling-ah), in Denmark. Dendrochronology established that the boat was built around the year 1130.
The Gislinge Boat was reconstructed and documented by the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark. In 2015, the Museum released the working drawings to the public, launching the Gislinge Boat Open Source Project.
In 2019, Chesapeake Light Craft began developing a computer-cut wood-epoxy replica of the Gislinge Boat. CLC's pre-cut marine plywood kit, assembled using ordinary "stitch and glue" techniques, makes the construction of this ancient design accessible to serious amateur builders and organizations. Read more here:
www.clcboats.com/gislinge.html
Video was captured in October 2023 at the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival, hosted by the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Maryland, USA. At the helm is John C. Harris, with CLC boatbuilder Steve Youngkin and serial adventurer John Guider.

[@SurfBandFan]

John, This video speaks three things to me: 1)How boats of this type could routinely make long ocean passages across the north atlantic. 2) That nothing even comes close to sailing those late autumn days on the Chesapeake, and 3) You need to be a great sailor with guts to make her do what she does, and you guys handled it superbly! Awesome videography.

[@JoseAzuajeFidalgo]

What an incredible video showcasing the Gislinge Boat replica by Chesapeake Light Craft! It's truly mesmerizing to see this 12th-century design brought to life in such a meticulous and lovingly crafted manner. The historical context behind this boat adds another layer of fascination, and the fact that it's made accessible to amateur builders and organizations through a CNC-cut kit is just fantastic. Kudos to the team at Chesapeake Light Craft for their dedication to preserving and sharing maritime heritage. The craftsmanship and attention to detail are truly remarkable. Thank you for sharing this captivating journey with us! 🚣‍♂🌊👏

[@ChesapeakeLightCraftBoats]

Thank you!

[@RustyKnorr]

No sailing video has made me smile like that in a long time. There is just something evocative in that hull shape. Well done, John!!!

[@ChesapeakeLightCraftBoats]

Thank you!

[@utuber1a]

Very cool; waiting for the kit. But it needs a dragon figurehead!

[@smallboatsnation]

Magnificent! The plywood version is every bit as beautiful as the original ancient Viking designs. Congratulations to the CLC crew for bringing the Gislinge to life. The smaller 9th-century Gokstad faering is equally beautiful and very seaworthy, but difficult to build using traditional methods. I hope it will be the next you'll adapt for plywood. Christopher Cunningham, editor Small Boats

[@n4837z]

John Harris, You gotta be the most fortunate small boat guy on the planet. Being able and willing to "mess around" with something like this...WOW. Thanks for what you're doing!!! Looks like FUN, too. Glenn H.

[@SavingMaverick55]

I just read the article on this boat in wooden boat magazine. Awesome to see her in action.

[@celestehall3786]

what a day to be on the water, she looks sprightly, even better.

[@ArtSailing]

Its looking that the boat dancing with the waves in rhythm of the music. Fair winds and thanks for this windy video.

[@JenkinsBoatWorks]

steerboard on starboard. that is why it is called Starboard!

[@flyingfiddler90q]

I might need to build one of these...

[@Abasha2003]

Wow! It's absolutely ripping upwind. There has to be a bowsprit upgrade option. It seems outrageous that there's no dragon head...

[@thomasnejman3437]

World Class, magnificent, Respect

[@troytreeguy]

Fantastic John and CLC crew 👍👍 she really moves along!

[@bakerjmark]

You guys are flying along! Beautiful to watch. Nice build.

[@FreePalestine-qj6zn]

Wow it's quick!

[@tomedom5107]

Great job CLC and JCH in particular. Not only a lovely form but a real goer! The steering looked pretty awkward but hey, just a new skill to learn!

[@ButterflyMatt]

Beautiful! And she looks fast.

[@eunicecordrey6609]

Wow! Love the boat. She's fast!

[@finnsaarinen3471]

just awesome

[@rozinant1237]

Another great boat from CLC!

[@richardreynolds5278]

Fantastic to see this on the water. Well done John and team, she looks beautiful. Any plans for a video of it rowing?

[@daveclemmer4536]

Beautiful, she flies!

[@qalbi_ibn_lari]

So excited about this! I've been following this since you announced the model you were building. It's been a few years now, but I'm itching to see more of this boat!

[@perrygauthier1174]

Thanks for taking us along. It looks like an exciting craft💯

[@brianwatkins2974]

Waiting to see this design on the water for a long time. Congratulations, CLC!

[@knut8556]

This boat seems to be a fast sailing boat 👍😀

[@CosmicKnight1]

That looks like a blast, thanks for sharing!

[@moejotuber]

Best movie I've seen all week. AWESOME BOAT !!!!!

[@johnburgess5534]

The twists in the main sheet must cause a lot of friction!

[@outcastcwd]

That speaks very loudly to my Scandinavian heritage!!!!

[@Sailor_McNemo]

I have been anxiously waiting to see more of this build! This looks like a lot of fun!

[@user-vm8mi8wt3k]

I have an Oughtred “ELF” just semi-completed, intend for rowing…. Now, after this video, I’m going to backup & add a rudder… maybe a side one. Not sure about a dagger board. Wow what a video!

[@phillarge9045]

Beautiful looking vessel, nice addition to the fleet

[@skaraborgcraft]

Hard to believe there would be more interest in this as a kit, than Nano-ship! Hope to see one in R2A.

[@dooleyfussle8634]

Thanks, I've been looking into loose footed sail rigs for my canoe. Got some ideas from this.

[@user-ov5pm6wb2k]

I'm jealous. Nothing more my viking heart would want to do!

[@georgesimmel2078]

Thanks for putting up the video. Gislinge looks like a very seaworthy craft and not just under sail. I'll be surprised if she doesn't move quickly when rowed (three oarlocks)? Please post a video showing the tacking process (I'd like to know if that can be done single-handed). The twist in the sheet could be solved by adding a strop between the sail and the block to allow the block to rotate (much like the strop used with gennaker sheets). That tiller arrangement may take a little getting used to! I'd love to see one of these sail in Puget Sound!

[@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665]

Strictly speaking it should be called a Steerboard....or Starboard for us Angles 🧙🏼‍♂️🌌

[@meestahwah]

That little ship really scoots!!

[@davidmersiovsky]

That's awesome.

[@ronaldotstott4394]

I want one!

[@user-nn7dn2wr7l]

Красавчики! Викинги! Особенно дед).

[@elijahsnow8142]

LETS GOOOOOO ITS FINALLY HERE, IVE BEEN WAITING SO LONG FOR THIS

[@Illnorean]

It’s so cool!!!

[@patrickwentz8413]

very nice!

[@piergaay]

I somehow have the feeling that this is the boat that gives the most fun in sailing compared with all the other boats CLC have designed and build. Not bad!

[@andrewwinter7843]

Gorgeous. When will it be a KIT. And can it be 35 Feet? Or is there a limit in length for "Small Craft"?

[@jdenne03]

Looks pretty lively upwind! Is there a daggerboard/centerboard/keel?

[@b_ks]

Will CLC offer kits/plans?

[@Oigen205]

Красивая лодка!

[@johnburgess5534]

Would like to see the tacking in full. 6:34

[@white98cummins]

I'm curious which version of the Gislinge you have used for your adaptation? I have though about purchasing a kit when it becomes available or even completing an in person class. The later variants seem more useful due to their higher free board. Plus they look even better!

[@white98cummins]

It looks like the first version though I too am curious which version they went with. Thinking about purchasing one but the later variants are certainly more useful.

[@andrewbermel1099]

what speed were you making? this is amazing! I love this so much!

[@proutsos]

She flies!

[@not-fishing4730]

So are the "extensions" on the frames above the gunwale for shields to hang on?

[@jimkemp4519]

She stands up well. I can’t see a center board or lee boards. Is the hull just that stable?

[@GeorgeSagen]

This video stirs something in the blood.

[@frankrizzo7454]

I was thinking about buying a Laser to learn how to sail with. I think I might have changed my mind. I don't know if the Vikings had a God of Algorithms but I got here thankfully.

[@joeh773]

Do any of your boats come recommended with standing lug sail? I don't think they do, why not? This one's pretty cool!

[@edmundhuber9780]

It looks like it has more rocker than other boats of that size. How does it handle waves and chop?

[@user-rx8rs9yp7p]

Do you have an opinion as to whether the off center location of the rudder is more difficult to handle.

[@andrewnielsen314]

Beauty, now the big question will yhis become a kit for you guys?

[@ChesapeakeLightCraftBoats]

We're working hard on the kit! Don't have a date but there's tons of interest, so...soon.

[@johngallagher912]

The next replica should be a Spanish Caravelle. Maybe a replica of Columbus's Nina?

[@captparnell]

Wow!

[@paulcheneymedia]

I would sign up for this workshop tomorrow. When will you have these available?

[@ChesapeakeLightCraftBoats]

We're working hard on the kit! Don't have a date but there's tons of interest, so...soon.

[@paulcheneymedia]

Any chance I can get a private class or come to work on one there in the meantime? @@ChesapeakeLightCraftBoats

[@warjacare]

What happens if the boat capsizes far away from the shore and no other boat in sight? Please, tell me.

[@ChesapeakeLightCraftBoats]

Unclip the shrouds and drop the mast. The replica boat has foam flotation, so if the sea state isn't too bad it can be bailed out. The 12th-century Danes didn't have foam flotation, and the ca. 1130 AD boat's beach cobble ballast probably would have sunk it in the same scenario. But the Danes wouldn't capsize in the first place! The moral: avoid sailing open boats with finite stability far from shore, unless you have Viking-level small boat chops.

[@user-th3ll8rl7i]

This is a fantastic boat! I would like to build it someday. But I don't think it's "authentic." That is, I don't think the Vikings used dipping lugs. I'm not really sure. Anyway kudus to John Harris!

[@macrumpton]

Who knew that Vikings invented rockets in the 12th century?

[@stefanomoretti3664]

beautiful but please put a swivel block on the sail :-)

[@ChesapeakeLightCraftBoats]

Yeah, we got hammered for that twisted sheet, the most commented-upon feature of the boat. If there'd been a lot of friction (or if I'd foreseen the hue and cry) I'd have stopped and dealt with it! It was an easy fix.

[@arsenelupiniii8040]

Looks good an stiff! Not a lot of bounce and you guys are hauling ass! Keep it up!

[@mobydick6420]

Fantastic! I want one, maybe two. Was the camera gyro-stabilized? It caught the dynamics of the scene perfectly - giving the feeling of actually riding in the boat very realistically. A real beauty, a mere 900 years old. Like I said, I want one.