1) KEEL
The keel is the central part of the boat, giving it its full length and allowing the successive strakes to be built clinker-style
2) HULL
The hull is the body of the boat, made up of 21 strakes on each side
3) STEERING OAR
The steering oar, or rudder, is positioned on the starboard side and allows the crew to steer the boat; this single part takes most of the pressure applied to the boat
4) SHROUDS
The shrouds are the side lines that support the mast and hold it in position
5) FORESTAY
The forestay is the forward line running along the length of the boat that holds the mast in place.
6) BACKSTAY
The backstay mirrors the forestay: it is the aft line running along the length of the boat. It is attached to the mast to hold it in place
7) SHEETS
The sheets are used to adjust the angle of the sail to make the most of the wind
8) YARD
The yard is the horizontal wooden spar at the top of the mast that holds the sail on the boat
9) STEM
The stem is the piece at the front of the hull that cuts through the waves. It forms the bow
10) STERNPOST
The sternpost is the aft piece of the boat that closes the hull and forms its stern
11) MAST
The mast is the centrepiece of the boat, to which the yard and the other lines needed for sailing are attached
- 3rd longship -
ORKAN
technical specifications
Orkan is much more than a 28 m longship with a 180 m² sail, weighing under 20 tonnes and able to carry 30 crew members and 50 passengers… It is a full-scale school for passing on technical, human and environmental skills.
Orkan is being built as a participatory project, bringing volunteers and curious minds together around a shared goal: exploring the future by drawing on the knowledge of the past.
This famous part is quite simply the backbone of the boat. In this video, we explain the 3 steps to go from 3 huge pieces of timber to a complete longship keel!
In this video we look back on the last few months: progress on the keel, fitting the temporary frames and, of course, making the planks that will form the hull. We hope you enjoy it!
In this video we show the different stages of assembling the hull: from machining the planks to gluing a new strake onto the hull. As a bonus: life and the pace of a day at the shipyard.
craftsmanship and innovation
Orkan is built from fine materials, using modern techniques and materials to optimise its performance and durability.
passing on and teaching
Through the build, our aim is to introduce new generations to craft skills and the values of working together.
exploration and community
Orkan is a vehicle for engagement and reflection on how collective projects can have a positive impact on society.
- LENGTH: 28M
- BEAM: 6M
- WEIGHT: 18T
- SAIL AREA: 184M2
- crew: 30 SAILORS
- ENGINES: 2x65HP
- WATCHES: 3 TEAMS
- expedition: 45 DAYS
- motivation: maxed out
