Karves (or Karvi) were a small type of

longship Longships were a type of specialised Scandinavian warships that have a long history in Scandinavia, with their existence being archaeologically proven and documented from at least the fourth century BC. Originally invented and used by the Nors ...

with broad hull, somewhat similar to the ocean-going

knarr A knarr is a type of Norse merchant ship used by the Vikings. The knarr ( non, knǫrr, plural ) was constructed using the same clinker-built method as longships, karves, and faerings. History ''Knarr'' is the Old Norse term for a type of ...

cargo ships. Karves were used for both war and ordinary transport, carrying people, goods or livestock. Because they were able to navigate in very shallow water, they were also used for

coasting Coasting may refer to: * Coasting (vehicle), performing a natural deceleration of a motor when the power is removed * Carrying out a part of a spaceflight without orbital maneuver * Sledding * Performing ovarian hyperstimulation without inducing ...

. Karves had broad beams of approximately , were up to in length, and allowed for up to 16 oars. The

Tune ship The Tune ship (''Tuneskipet'') is a Viking ship exhibited in the Viking Ship Museum (''Vikingskipshuset på Bygdøy'') in Bygdøy, Oslo. The Tune ship is of the karve, a small type of longship with broad hull. It was found at the Haugen far ...

from Norway is an example of a historical Karve ship.

Notes

Viking ships Merchant sailing ship types Naval sailing ship types {{ship-type-stub