The Longships of Enga

Longships in Enga are the primary seafaring transport for the Firar. Sleek, shallow drafted vessels, the longships in use by the Jarls are at home on sea, rivers and can be sailed or rowed right onto beaches fro lightning attacks. They are fast enough that if you were on a beach, and cold one of these vessels on the horizon sailing at top speed, a little over 8 minutes later, the crew would be on the shore able to bury an axe in your skull.

Types

Murtr

While they can be used to ferry warriors during attacks, they are mostly used to ferry cargo and are the primary trading vessels of most Jarldoms.

• Rowing Positions: 16
• Length: 57 Feet
• Width: 8.5 Feet
• Crew: 40 Men + up to 10 Skratte
• Average Speed: 6-7 Knots/7-8 Miles Per Hour
• Top Speed: 15 Knots/17 Miles Per Hour
• Uses: General service and cargo, can be used or warfare.

Snekkja

A mainstay ship of war for most Jarldoms, the Snekkja has a shallower draught than the Murtr, making it an able river vessel as well as open ocean. With more rowing positions and shield racks to protect the rowers (and store their shields), the Snekkja are a fearsome sight throughout Enga.

• Rowing Positions: 20
• Length: 56 Feet
• Width: 8.2 Feet
• Crew: 50 Men + up to 15 Skratte
• Average Speed: 6-7 Knots/7-8 Miles Per Hour
• Top Speed: 15 Knots/17 Miles Per Hour
• Uses: Warship

Uldan Longship

A newer design only currently found in the Jarldom of Holl (though being sold now to other Karls in the Rikr Jarldom of Allfsnes), the Uldan Longship is the longest and largest warship in use on Enga. Capable of carrying up to 80 men (and a good number of Skratte) a few of these vessels can land an entire army right at your doorstep. Slightly faster than its cousins the Mortr and Snekkja, the Uldan Longship was designed by Uldan Shipwrights in Hell and has been fielded by the Jarl there in great numbers.

• Rowing Benches: 30
• Length: 98 to 121 Feet
• Width 12.5 Feet
• Crew: 70-80 Men + up to 40 Skratte
• Average Speed: 6-8 Knots/7-9 Miles Per Hour
• Top Speed: 13-17 Knots/14-19 Miles Per Hour
• Uses: Warship

Speed

The average and top speeds listed under each type are for speeds under sail with favorable to good winds, possibly even supplemented with fast rowing. When the wind wasn’t favorable and the crew had to row, they could row for upwards of 2 hours using a slow stroke, averaging 2-4 knots/2.5-4.5 miles per hour.

Sails

The sails on all longships crewed by the Firar are single square-rigged sails with a surface area somewhere between 45 m2 (on a Murtr) to 115 m2 (on an Uldan). Sails are made of woven wool and often died with the colors of the Jarldom they are from.

The Uldan Shipwrights of Hill are experimenting with multiple sail configurations.

Cargo Capacity

4-5 tons of cargo depending on number of crew. Murtr can be sailed by as little as 6-8 crew if they are staying near the shore. This would increase cargo space and capacity.