These planks are rounded rather than flat on the outside, thus explaining the many furrows they leave as tracks in the snow. Only the keel is flat. The planks at the front end are fixed together with a cord that is tied around all of them: they are not nailed together. The “ackja” is 6 feet long; starting from the stem, it remains a constant width for 4 feet and then, as the keel curves up, the sides curve in to meet it in a point.