The Intriguing World Of Norwegian Boat Names Explained

The Nordland boat, or Nordlandsbåt in Norwegian, is a type of fishing boat that has been used for centuries in the northern counties of Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark in Norway. It derives its name from Nordland county, where it has a long history. The boat is closely related to the old Viking longships. The Nordland boat has a clinker or lapstrake hull design, with its rudder on the sternpost. Its length varies from 14 to over 40 feet, and it usually has a high prow and stern, shallow keel, and v-hull. One of the unique features of the Nordland boat is its ballast system, which uses dozens of fist-sized round rocks to weigh down the boat. If the boat capsizes, the rocks are designed to roll out, lightening the boat and keeping it afloat. Today, Nordland boats are primarily used as pleasure craft and for annual races.

The Nordland boat, or Nordlandsbåt, is a type of fishing boat used for centuries in northern Norway

The Nordland boat, or Nordlandsbåt, is a type of fishing boat that has been used for centuries in the northern counties of Norway, specifically Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark. It is closely related to the old Viking longships and is thought to derive its name from Nordland County, where it has a long history.

The Nordland boat has a clinker, or lapstrake hull design, with a rudder on the sternpost. Its length varies from 14 to over 40 feet and it usually has a length-to-beam ratio of 3-1 to 4-1. It has a high prow and stern, a shallow keel, a v-hull, and an inboard gunwale, which is used to drain fishing nets. Some larger Nordlanders have a detachable cabin for shelter, often with a wood-burning stove inside.

The Nordlander typically carries a large single square sail, with the biggest boats also carrying a topsail. It is one of the few types of boats that still uses this type of sail today. The sail was traditionally made from canvas, though some modern boats use synthetic materials.

The Nordland boat has a unique ballast system. Dozens of fist-sized round rocks are placed at the bottom of the boat to weigh it down. If the boat capsizes or becomes swamped, the rocks roll out, lightening the boat and keeping it afloat.

The Nordland boat has a long history along the northern Norwegian coastline. Both Norwegians and Sami people are recorded as having sailed such boats from around 950 onwards, with the Sami producing Nordlandbots for their Norwegian customers along the northern coastal farming communities. The Norwegians soon started building their own, with one of the key differences being the use of iron rivets instead of reindeer intestines to 'sew' the lapstrakes together.

Today, the Nordland boat is no longer primarily used as a fishing vessel but as a pleasure craft, with annual races taking place. The coat-of-arms of Nordland County features this traditional boat.

The Nordland boat is closely related to the old Viking longships

The Nordland boat (or in Norwegian: Nordlandsbåt) is a type of fishing boat that has been used for centuries in the northern counties of Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark in Norway. It is closely related to the old Viking longships and is named after Nordland County, where it has a long history.

The Nordland boat has a clinker or lapstrake hull design, with a rudder on the sternpost. Its length varies from 14 to over 40 feet, and it usually has a length-to-beam ratio of 3-1 to 4-1. It has a high prow and stern, a shallow keel, a v-hull, and an inboard gunwale, which is used to drain fishing nets. Some larger Nordlanders have a detachable cabin with a wood-burning stove.

The Nordland boat is typically sailed with a large single square sail, with the biggest boats also carrying a topsail. It is one of the few types of boats that still use this type of sail today. While oak was a favoured wood for shipbuilding due to its resistance to rot and durability, the Nordland boats are almost exclusively made from pine or spruce, as these lighter woods are easier to pull up onto the shore daily.

The Nordland boat has a long history along the northern Norwegian coastline, with both Norwegians and Sami people sailing such boats from around 950 onwards. By 1000 AD, the Sami were producing Nordlandbots for their Norwegian customers, and the Norwegians soon started building their own. One of the main differences between the two was the method of attaching the lapstrakes: the Sami used reindeer intestines, while the Norwegians used iron rivets.

The unique ballast system of the Nordland boat is another key feature. Dozens of fist-sized round rocks are placed at the bottom of the boat to weigh it down. If the boat capsizes or swamps, the rocks roll out, lightening the boat and keeping it afloat.

Today, Nordland boats are primarily used for pleasure craft and racing, rather than fishing. The coat-of-arms of Nordland County features the traditional boat, the Nordlandsbåt, preserving its legacy.

The Nordland boat has a unique ballast system, using fist-sized rocks to weigh down the boat

The Nordland boat, or Nordlandsbåt in Norwegian, is a type of fishing boat that has been used for centuries in the northern counties of Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark of Norway. The name comes from Nordland County, where the boat has a long history. The Nordland boat is closely related to the old Viking longships and has dominated the fishing industry in the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands for centuries.

One of the most distinctive features of the Nordland boat is its unique ballast system. Dozens of fist-sized round rocks are placed at the bottom of the boat to weigh it down. This system is designed to keep the boat stable and balanced while fishing. However, the rocks also serve a crucial safety function. In the event that the boat is swamped or capsizes, the rocks are designed to roll out, lightening the boat and helping to keep it afloat. This innovative ballast system showcases the ingenuity and practicality of the Nordland boat design.

The Nordland boat typically has a clinker or lapstrake hull design, with a rudder mounted on the sternpost. Its length can vary significantly, ranging from 14 to over 40 feet, and it usually has a length-to-beam ratio of 3-1 to 4-1. The boat features a high prow and stern, a shallow keel, a v-hull, and an inboard gunwale that facilitates the draining of fishing nets when they are drawn on board.

Some larger Nordlanders are equipped with a detachable cabin, providing shelter and often including a wood-burning stove for warmth. In terms of sailing, the Nordland boat typically carries a large single square sail, with the largest boats also having a topsail. Even today, it is one of the few types of boats that still carry such sails.

The choice of wood for the Nordland boat is also carefully considered. While oak was favoured by shipbuilders for its resistance to rot, strength, and durability, it is not native to northern Norway and is quite heavy. Therefore, the Nordland boat is almost exclusively made from pine, and in the northern regions, spruce or fir is used. These woods are lighter, making it easier to pull the boats up onto the shore, although they are less durable than oak.

The Nordland boat has a rich history spanning over 1,000 years, with both Norwegians and Sami people sailing these boats since around 950 AD. The Sami people were skilled boatbuilders, sewing the lapstrakes together using reindeer intestines, while the Norwegians used iron rivets. Today, the Nordland boat is no longer primarily used for fishing but has found a new lease of life as a pleasure craft, with annual races held to celebrate this iconic boat.

The Nordland boat is no longer used primarily for fishing but as a pleasure craft and for races

The Nordland boat, or Nordlandsbåt in Norwegian, is a type of fishing boat that has been used for centuries in the northern counties of Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark of Norway. The boat's name derives from Nordland county, where it has a long history and has dominated the fishing industry in the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands for centuries.

The Nordland boat is closely related to the old Viking longships and has a clinker, or lapstrake hull design, with its rudder on the sternpost. Its length varies from 14 to over 40 feet, and it usually has a length-to-beam ratio of 3-1 to 4-1. It has a high prow and stern, a shallow keel, a v-hull, and an inboard gunwale that can be used to drain fishing nets. Some larger Nordlanders have a detachable cabin for shelter, often with a wood-burning stove inside.

The Nordland boat is unique in that it uses a ballast system of dozens of fist-sized round rocks at the bottom of the boat to keep it weighted down. If the boat swamped or capsized, the rocks would roll out, lightening the boat and keeping it afloat.

While the Nordland boat has a very long history in the north Norwegian coastline, today it is no longer primarily used for fishing. Instead, it has found a new lease of life as a pleasure craft and for annual races. The coat-of-arms of Nordland County features this traditional boat, the Nordlandsbåt, reflecting its importance to the region.

The coat of arms of Nordland County features the traditional boat

The Nordland boat, or Nordlandsbåt in Norwegian, is a type of fishing boat that has been used for centuries in the northern counties of Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark in Norway. The boat's name derives from Nordland County, where it has a long history. The Nordland boat is closely related to the old Viking longships and has been dominating the fishing industry of the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands for centuries.

The Nordland boat has a clinker or lapstrake hull design and a rudder on the sternpost. Its length varies from 14 to over 40 feet, with a length-to-beam ratio of 3-1 to 4-1. It has a high prow and stern, a shallow keel, a v-hull, and an inboard gunwale used for draining fishing nets. Some larger Nordlanders have a detachable cabin for shelter, often with a wood-burning stove inside.

The Nordlander usually carries a large single square sail, with the largest boats also carrying a topsail. It is one of the few boat types that still carry such sails today. The preferred wood for ship builders was oak, due to its resistance to rot, strength, and durability. However, oak is not native to Norway north of the county of Trøndelag, and its weight made it difficult to pull boats ashore. Therefore, Nordland boats were mostly made from pine, and spruce in the northern regions.

The Nordland boat has a long history on the north Norwegian coastline, with both Norwegians and Sami people sailing such boats from around 950 onwards. Around 1000 AD, the Sami people were described as producing Nordlandbots for their Norwegian customers, and the Norwegians soon started building their own. One notable difference between the boats built by the two groups is the method of joining the lapstrakes: the Sami used reindeer intestines, while the Norwegians used iron rivets.

Frequently asked questions