Fjord and boatbuilding during Hanse Sail

The staff of the National Maritime Museum have spent four days on the sailing festival Hanse Sail in Rostock advertising traditional techniques of the sea craft, all within “Polish and Norwegian maritime cultural heritage” project.

Hanse Sail is the biggest traditional boat and museum ships rally in Germany, as well as an important exhibition and commercial event that aims at supporting the development of the European Baltic marine tourism and preserving common marine heritage. This year over 200 historic boats took part in the festival and the stands have been visited by over a million guests.

Joint crews of National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk and Hardanger Fartovernsenter (division of Hardanger&Voss Museum in Utne – Norwegian partner of the project) presented in Rostock traditional boatbuilding techniques. Museum curators demonstrated methods of end-jointing thatch planks, thatch riveting and planks’ preparation. The demonstrations of rope twisting and “live” construction of a wooden boat model attracted a great attention of festival guests and German media. The typical Norwegian boat (so called “strandebarmar”) has been displayed as well and solemnly launched during the festival. It has been christened “Fjord”.

The project is conducted due to support of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and funds acquired from the EEA Financial Mechanism 2009–2014 as a part of the “Promotion of Diversity in Culture and Arts within European Cultural Heritage” project.
Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.