By Gunnar Eriksen
Secrets of the Shipyard
How Viking & Naval Carpenters Solved Every Problem Modern Woodworkers Face. 16 chapters, 150 pages, 25+ illustrations. Step-by-step guides for every woodworker.
Sound Familiar?
Modern woodworking is full of expensive shortcuts that don't last. The men who built ships to survive the North Atlantic had better answers.
Joints keep failing?
Modern glues and pocket holes create rigid connections that crack when wood moves seasonally. The old shipwrights solved this 1,000 years ago.
Spending a fortune on power tools?
Viking shipwrights built vessels to cross the Atlantic with just an axe, a knife, and a few hand tools. You don’t need a $5,000 shop.
Wood rotting after a few years?
Modern finishes peel and crack. Traditional pitch, tar, and oil treatments protected ships for decades in saltwater.
Overwhelmed by conflicting advice?
YouTube tutorials contradict each other. This book gives you one proven system — the same methods that built empires and conquered oceans.
What's Inside: 16 Chapters
A complete journey from understanding your wood to building indestructible projects.
The Modern Woodworking Myth
Why pocket holes, power tools, and rigid glues are failing you — and what the old masters did differently.
Reading the Forest
How Norse shipwrights found naturally curved grain for maximum strength without cutting against the wood.
The Saltwater Cure
The counterintuitive Viking practice that makes timber virtually rot-proof for centuries.
The Broadaxe vs. The Saw
Why splitting wood with an axe creates boards infinitely stronger than anything a sawmill produces.
The Forgotten Art of the Scraper
How a simple card scraper outperforms sandpaper in every measurable way.
Design by Proportion, Not Measurement
The proportional divider system that let shipwrights build without tape measures.
Joints That Move Without Breaking
Flexible joinery that absorbs seasonal wood movement instead of fighting it.
The Treenail Revolution
Wooden pegs that outperform modern metal fasteners in shear strength and longevity.
The Art of Faying
Invisible, watertight joints achieved without any adhesive or sealant.
Dovetails That Lock Like Iron
The wedged and through-dovetail techniques that held warships together.
Pine Tar, Pitch & Tallow
The original wood finishes that protected ships for decades in the harshest conditions.
Linseed Oil & Birch Bark
Natural waterproofing methods that create an impenetrable moisture barrier.
Natural Fireproofing
Historical naval methods of treating timber to resist fire without toxic chemicals.
The Indestructible Sea Chest
Build a traditional sailor's chest with hidden locks and massive dovetails.
The Ship's Ladder
Traditional naval companionways perfect for outdoor stairs at home.
Campaign Furniture
The genius of 1700s naval furniture that folds flat but remains rock-solid.
What You Get
Everything You Get Today
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Build Like a Shipwright?
Join the woodworkers who are rediscovering the techniques that built empires and conquered oceans.