Replicas in the World

   Prehistory and Antiquity

• Skin boat. Fragmentary finds in Husum, Germany, from 9th millennium BC may have been parts of the frame of an early skin boat. Following this theory, a reconstructed skin boat has been made, now (1999) on display at the Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum, Bremerhaven. Ref. article by Detlev Ellmers in The Earliest Ships (Conway Maritime Press 1996)
• Mesolithic logboats. Three logboats in pine based on finds from c 7000 BC, manufactured in France by GRAS in 1998, 1999, and 2000, with prehistoric tools. Measurements: 6.3x0.5m, 7.24x0.5m, 8.42x0.68m, weights between 200 and 350 kg. The manufacturing is very well explained on the GRAS page, step-by-step. The log was hollowed-out using fire, flint adzes, wooden wedges and hammers. As a final step the inside was burned, to carbonise and stabilise the surfaces.
• Monoxylon I & II. These two Czech logboats were built and successfully navigated in 1995 and 1998 in the Mediterranean.
• Argo. Reconstruction of Greek Bronze Age warship. Open-decked, ca 16 m long, 20 oars and one square sail. She was sailed by Tim Severin, following the route of the ancient Argo, by Jason and his Argonauts.
• Athenian Trireme Olympias, ca 400 BC, Greece. Built in 1987. Volunteer rowers to this 37 m long reconstruction are needed every summer. The trireme was the quickest ship in antiquity. It was a hi-tech racer that could exceed 10 knots, chase and sink an enemy with its ram. The hull was a compact special construction of light wood, e g pinetree. During the battle of Salamis in 480 BC the Greeks had 380 ships and defeated the Persian navy of 600 ships. About half of the Greek navy may have been triremes. Photo © JS Illsley, University of Wales. Ram photo by J.S. Illsley. Ref Les dossiers d'archéologie, Editions Faton, juin 1993.
• Kyrenia II. Based on the Kyrenia ship from ca 306 BC. Constructed in 1985 by professor Richard Steffy. Ref National Geographic, June 1970, Nov 1974 and IJNA 3.1 1976, 7.1 1980, 16.1 1989. Photo.
• Roman warship in Mainz, Germany. The original was found in 1981-85 in the city's old harbour, dated to late 3rd and 4th centuries AD. This 20 m long full-scale reconstruction was made and is exhibited in the Museum für Antike Schiffahrt (Museum of Ancient Shipping). Photo courtesy the museum.
    

   Middle Ages and later

• Medieval logboat. Logboat in oak based on Medieval find in France. Made in 1994 by GRAS, measurement: 6.6x0.77x0.55m. The weight with soaked wood is ca 1200 kg, thus this is a much cruder and heavier construction than the slender thin-walled Mesolithic logboats (described above). The manufacturing is very well explained on the GRAS page, step-by-step. The log was hollowed-out using and shaped using steel axes, adzes, wedges, hammers and saws.
• Kieler Hansekogge, Kiel. Based on the medieval Bremer cog, ca 1380 AD. Built in 1989. Stationed in Kiel, Germany. Model photo by J. S. Illsley.
• De Kamper Kogge, 15th century, Netherlands
• Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria. Reconstructions of Columbus' ships from 1492. Built in Spain during 1975-90. Sailed across the Atlantic in 1991. Now displayed in Corpus Christi, Texas. Photo of Niña.
• Matthew of Bristol. Reconstruction of John Cabot's ship that arrived to North America in 1497.
• Golden Hind. Free interpretation of Sir Francis Drake's ship.
• Duyfken, Dutch ship from 1606, built in Australia
• Susan Constant. The original was a 120 ton ship that sailed from London to America, founding the Jameston colony. A first replica was made in 1956. A second replica was made in 1989. Ref Spectre & Larkin: Wooden Ship (Houghton Miflin 1991).
• Half Moon, Dutch 1609, built in 1989. Link. Link.
• Mayflower 2. This 17th century replica sailed to America in 1958.
• VOC ship Batavia, 1628, Holland. The replica was built in Lelystad 1985-1995. Link.
• St Nikolai. Russian 17th century Lodya built in 1991.
• Slavia. Russian traditional Lodya.
• Nonsuch. English two-mast ketch from 1650. Winnipeg, Canada.
• Standart, Russia. A beautiful replica of Peter the Great's frigate from 1703 was finished in St Petersburg in 1999. I took this photo a few weeks before the ship was launched. (sometimes bad connection to the website) Contact Vladimir Martous.
• VOC ship Amsterdam, 18th century, Holland. Replica built in 1990.
• Het Utrecht Statenjacht, 1746, launched in 2003.
• HMS Rose, frigate from 1757, England. Replica built in 1970. The ship featured in the beautiful movie Master and Commander, made in 2003.
• Endeavour, c 1760, Australia. Replica of Captain Cook's ship, built in 1991.
• HMS Bounty, c 1787, England
• Elena Maria Barbara, Russia. 2 mast schooner ca 1800
• US Brig Niagara, 1813, USA
• Stad Amsterdam, Dutch clipper ship, launched in 2000

 
Nordic replicas are on a separate page. Other replicas may be found in shipindex.org. There are also many original vintage sailing ships, which are not covered here, but may be found at other maritime sites, e.g. here, here, Schoonerman or using a search engine.