It had a good cargo capacity, with a draught of 0.5 m and was probably built for fishing. Like Skuldelev 1, Skuldelev 6 was built in Sognefjorden in western Norway around 1030, mainly from pine. It would have had a crew of 5-15. During its lifetime the ship was rebuilt somewhat, probably to be deployed as a coastal cargo ship. In this state it would have been known as a "Ferje", a general term for smaller cargo vessels. 70% of the original ship has survived.