entry reflections 285

the inner harbor here has a canal that is man made. it doesn't connect to anything but instead provides docking space for the traditional wooden boats we call skjekter, snekke or kogg. they are double ended with clinker (overlapping) planking made of pine while the frames are often oak. the design has roots directly from the viking designs and are still made with pride today. while the hulls are remarkably similar there are countless variations inboard so each one is unique. the oldest in the harbor here is over 100 years old and many are from the 1920-30s. many were built here in town but quite a few are from surrounding coastal districts. the diesel motors are 2 stroke, making the familiar deep and rather pleasant tuc-tuc they are noted for. owning such a boat is a matter of pride as they require considerable maintenance to keep them looking so sharp. the hull may be coated with up to 100 coats of varnish before launch

before modern varnishes and oils were available the boats were treated with pine tar and linseed oil for waterproofing which rendered the boats much darker. when zinc based white paint became available in the 17-1800s it was well suited for treating the hull but prohibitively expensive. so only the richer boatowners could afford it. some owners choose to paint the entire boat white while others use either varnish or marine oil with some white, for example the gunwale, but the majority prefer the varnished look

while many of the boats look remarkably similar regardless of where and when they were built there are individual boats that stand out. this one named Uræd with the tent has even added a figurehead. it is an frivolous intentionally misplaced element in an otherwise seriously traditional milieu.