Conclusion
How it all comes together
Whether the Vikings were aware of the physics or not, they
made strategic actions in building their ships that would
minimize drag and increase the speed of the ships. They
focused on making long and narrow ships, so the cross
section hitting the waves was as small as they could make
it. By building their ships in the clinker method, the
outside of their ships were sturdy--allowing the frame of
their ships to be lighter. By having lighter ships, they
displaced less water in the ocean, allowing the ships to
ride over the waves more than cut through them decreasing
their drag even more. This also allowed the Vikings to
travel in shallow water, making them capable of getting
close to land and immediately launching an attack instead of
having to unload into row boats to get to land. The Vikings
ships were truly an impressive feat of the period.