From the left, head of the cultural unit in Bjørnafjorden municipality Erik Vangsnes, author of the book Åsmund Lien and General Manager Vidar Langeland
Preface to the book:
When the Oselvar workshop was founded, it only scratched the surface of the centuries-old boat building tradition in Os. There were still those in Os who knew the craft, but nobody in the town made a living from building Oselvar boats. Fortunately, there were still two persons, one in Våge and one in Storebø, who had kept up the profession and who made a living from it. The Oselvar workshop was able to benefit from their knowledge, which had been passed down from generation to generation in an unbroken link over many hundreds of years, and carry on the proud tradition.
After 25 years, we have now written down our history. From a somewhat uncertain start on a bold project, the Oselvar workshop has developed into a solid initiative that has won high respect both at home and abroad. A workshop that builds boats and preserves knowledge of handicrafts, a centre that develops knowledge that is passed on to new boat builders, and to other interested parties. That is what this book is about.
As the author of the book, I have been very closely connected to the workshop, as General Manager for 19 of the workshop’s 25 years. There are positives and negatives to such close connections. On the one hand, I have been in close contact with many of the events, and can therefore portray them in detail. But it can also make it difficult to maintain a moderate distance from the material, as an author should. I am, after all, partly responsible for the story I am about to tell. I can, however, confirm that what is written is all true, even if an unbiased historian would probably have chosen certain different perspectives in some parts of the book.
Throughout my work on the book, I have had close collaboration with the current General Manager of the Oselvar workshop, Vidar Langeland, both as a proofreader and professional photo editor. He is responsible for the design of the book, and he has also contributed numerous photographs. The boat builders at the workshop have also provided valuable input, which has made the book better.
Os, February 2022 Åsmund Lien
