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Oselvar



Oselvar is a traditional small wooden rowing boat that is built and used along Norway's west coast. For hundreds of years, this type of boat has been popular in the outer regions of Hordaland.

The boat was named after the site where it was built during the 18th century, at the mouth of the Oselva River in Os, the county seat of Hordaland. As a clinker-built boat, Oselvars are built out of large, thin planks. Almost all Oselvars are constructed of pine, with the exception of the keel, which is oak.

The wooden oselvar boat used to be the main mode of transportation for western Norway, as well as a mode of recreation. However, the introduction of modern boats in the 1940s, along with government restrictions forcing boat builders to find alternative work, and greater road transport in the 1960s almost made the wooden oselvar boat obsolete.

In addition to its use as a working rowing or sailing boat, the Oselvar is also a leisure craft. It could be both graceful and fast, making it ideal for sailing and rowing competitions. On Midsummer's Day in 1871, the Bergen Sailing Association held the first regatta. With the support of the Norwegian Arts Council, Os Batbyggjarlag, Os Municipality, and Hordaland County established the non-profit boatyard and workshop foundation Oselvarverkstaden in order to safeguard the traditional practice.

The organization recruits apprentice boatbuilders to facilitate the transmission of building techniques (which are normally passed from father to son), provides the infrastructure to active builders, and supports the oselvar manufacturing industry since 1997. And it has built over 85 boats and repaired 40. They are given access to a workshop, where skills sharing is encouraged. A variety of materials and tools are also available.

As early as the 1800s, on the other side of the fjord, the boat building industry was thriving in Os and Tysnes. The coat of arms of Os depicts the stylized figure of an Oselvar. During the North Sea crossing, wooden boats were taken apart and 'flat packed' to ship. These boats were exported in the kit form primarily to the islands of Shetland and Orkney from the 1500s until 1860.

Furthermore, they conduct field studies, demonstrate their products, and attend seminars and exhibitions locally and internationally. A number of sailing and yacht clubs promote the Oselvar as a sport and leisure boat. In a poll conducted by the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue in 2009, the boat was voted the Norwegian national boat.

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