Osterøy Turlag has ordered two Oselvar boats each with three pairs of oars from the Oselvar workshop. The boats will be delivered in the spring of 2023, and will be the first part of a long-term collaboration. The next stage of the collaboration project will involve the boat builders at the Oselvar workshop studying the Ostra boat and the Nordhordland boat. These two boat types are no longer being built. If we are able to obtain the necessary finances for the project, the plan is to build an Ostra boat. Osterøy Turlag’s description of the project follows:
Osterøy Turlag’s traditional boat project is geared towards outdoor pursuits in the fjords surrounding the island of Osterøy. Rowing boats are of significant cultural and historical value for the island community, where the fjord was their only transport route for hundreds of years. The Osterøy branch of the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) follows the Association’s goal of being a mediator and organiser of nature experiences and cultural heritage.
The initial phase of the project involves having two Oselvar boats with three pairs of oars built at the Oselvar workshop in Os. The boats will be prepared for sailing and built according to knowledge and traditions that are on UNESCO’s list of cultural heritage. The project also includes the restoration of a boat with four pairs of oars that dates back to the 19th century. The boat served as one of many church boats for people on the Lindås peninsula who had to cross the fjord to attend church services in Hamre church.
The aim is to teach young people of all ages how to coordinate efficient rowing and to experience sailing. Young people and adults with disabilities will benefit particularly from a positive sense of achievement in the rowing boat. Families and groups can rent a boat and go on a rowing trip.
The plan is to have the boats ready and in use, with trained crew, before the 1000th anniversary celebrations of Hamre as a parish locality in 2024.
Osterøy Turlaget hopes to find a location that would allow schoolchildren and others easy access to the boats.
In the long term, the Oselvar workshop aims to acquire knowledge about the construction of the Ostra boat and Nordhordland boat. There are examples of the design and details of such boats to be found in boathouses along the Osterfjord. The next boat purchase in the project should be an Ostra boat.
