Ships of 14th Century Baltic Pirates

The Knarr was one type of ship favored by the pirates Christina pursues in Her Dangerous Journey Home. Used primarily in coastal waters since the 10th century by Viking raiders, the knarr, like the longship, was clinker built from oak  or pine boards. A knarr typically measured about fifty feet in length and fifteen in the beam. Powered by a single rectangular sail, a knarr could make about 5-10 knots; although, it also was also capable of being maneuvered by two or four large oars. With a cargo capacity of about twenty tons, the ship was capable of carrying a large retinue of fighting men as well as diverse cargo.