Traditional Norwegian "Gavlabaat" launched

[Marlinman]

For the last two years my father (age 74) has built a traditional Norwegian "Gavlabaat" for his grandson (my son, age 10). Last weekend the boat was launched. Here is some pictures:

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa35/Gildekar/Gavlbaat/gavl1.jpg
Good neigbours with the right equipment got the boat out of the barn

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa35/Gildekar/Gavlbaat/gavl2-1.jpg
Owner and builder takes a final check of the engine, a fully restored 1955 vintage Marna 7-9 hp

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa35/Gildekar/Gavlbaat/gavl3.jpg
Almost there...

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa35/Gildekar/Gavlbaat/gavl4.jpg
And then its time to cranck the engine

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa35/Gildekar/Gavlbaat/gavl5.jpg
Finaly...

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa35/Gildekar/Gavlbaat/gavl6.jpg

The boat is 20 feet long and its a traditional design from western Norway. For at least 5 years before he started building the boat my father measured and took photoes of every "gavlabaat" he came across. He then made a half model and made the final adjustments. Lofting was then done in traditional way from the half model.

I think it came out well!

[rbgarr]

Very nice!

[Greg P H]

Wow, beautiful! Lucky Kid :)

[bob winter]

A true thing of beauty!

[jackster]

Such a rich piece of life, generations interacting, traditions handed down, future adventures, the imagination runs wild.
Thanks for sharing, I can understand you pride.

[Northernguy59]

What a moving story !! I am of Norweigen decent and am planning a trip to Norway soon to reconnect with my fathers family.

Thanks so much for posting.

Dale

[Thad]

Wow. Beautiful!

[htom]

Incredibly lovely, story, family, and boat.

[abe]

Very Nice and yes, it came out well! Your son should be very happy and proud of his grandad.

Thank you for posting your adventure.

abe

[Lew Barrett]

Nice!

[StevenBauer]

Sweet! She's beautiful. She certainly looks capable. Thanks for sharing.


Steven

[Patric]

So obviously Gavlabaat doesn't mean gaff (sail) boat :D

Very nice job there!!!

[Thorne]

More photos!

[S/V Laura Ellen]

I think it came out well!


Now there in an understatement!:eek:
Great boat!:)

[JollyTar]

The story, the boat, and the intent are all inadequetly summed up by my word, Beatiful!

[MiddleAgesMan]

What a fine gift!

Could the kid get it cranked by himself? I don't know beans about that engine--is it gas or diesel?

[outofthenorm]

Wow. That's a sweet, yet tough looking boat ... and one very lucky 10-year old. Your father has a great heart and a good eye.

- Norm

[JimD]

Yes, a real beauty. More pics, please.

[Woxbox]

Wow - every kid should have such a grandfather.
How about that engine, can you tell use something about it?

[GoldDogs]

Very nice. I wish my Danish Grandfather built me a boat.

[AndreasJordahlRhude]

Det er en fin baat! Gratulerer.

Andreas Jordahl Rhude

[Eric Hvalsoe]

Fabulous! Congragulations. Where is Grandfather's shop? Is woodworking and boatbuilding a profession or avocation? A dear friend of mine, since passed away, built a traditional lapstrake double ended Norwegian launch,
rather slack bilges, very beautiful and quite tender. This boat looks solid and stable as a rock.

[norseman]

Gratulerer!
Hands in pockets, the kid can handle it. Excellent ;).

[Marlinman]

First, thankyou all for nice comments!


Wow - every kid should have such a grandfather.
How about that engine, can you tell use something about it?

The engine is a jewel in Norwegian maritime engine production history. It is a Marna 6-9 hp, 4 stroke, 2 cylinders, petrol. It was manufactured by Mandals Motorfabrik, Mandal, Norway, in 1956. This engine was originaly installed in a double ended "Snekke" which my granddad built in the early sixties. I was pretty much raised in this boat and knew the tweeks of the engine well. It was a great loss when the boat got wrecked in a storm, in the early eighties, but we managed to salvage the engine. After many hours with TLC and a few new parts its now hopefully ready for a new life.

Marna engines was regarded as one of the most reliable engines in its time. It was widely used in dories and other small support vessels used in the Norwegian fishing fleet.

It is built rock solid, it actually weighs about 230 kg! With the ignition coil mounted high up on the engine it was lesser chance to get the coil filled with seawater and short-circuit. This was important in this kind of boats because they often was heavily loaded when assisting in hauling the fishing nets (purse seine) and got “half filled” with water in rough seas. It was also possible to get a bilge pump, belt driven from the fly-wheel as an option.

Due to the impulse mechanism on the ignition coil it is also easy to start the engine. You just have to crank it “over top”. Then the impulse mechanism ensures a heavy spark on the spark plugs and the engine ignite and runs. Nine out of ten times it starts on first try! And yes, my son starts it all by him self.

Having two cylinders and running on petrol it runs much smoother and quieter than a diesel engine of the same size. The Simplex carburettor is so accurate that you can adjust the rpm down to the engine almost stops. Then you actually can hear the engine breathe! It sucks in air for combustion, isssssshhhh, and blow out exhaust, pooohhh. Argh, I should have a soundtrack here…. Its also equipped with a propeller with adjustable pitch which makes accurate maneuvering very easy.

Its said that some fishermen choose Marna petrol engines because they believed that the harder running and more noisy diesel engines scared the fish!

[MiddleAgesMan]

Thanks for the details about the engine. When I was a teen we had a French made mo-ped with a tiny engine that I believe was Solex. I don't know if that is the same Solex that made your carbuerator (sp?) but if it is then the one we had was a dud. It was very hard to start and we wore out our legs and a few front tires trying to get that engine to start. :)

Your son is very lucky to have been given this boat and I wish him and you the best.

Sorry--I translated your "Simplex" to "Solex." Probably no connection whatsoever. :D

[StevenBauer]

Marlin, we'd love to hear the engine run! Do you have a digital camera that will also take video clips? It's easy to share on photo bucket or Youtube. Here's my Vire 12:

Just click on the image

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r241/bauerdad/Ostkust/th_MVI_0837.jpg (http://s146.photobucket.com/albums/r241/bauerdad/Ostkust/?action=view&current=MVI_0837.flv)


Steven

[SaltyD from BC]

Thanks for posting this Marlinman. Its a beautiful boat and story and yes a way cool old engine too

ps I like the your Vire too Steven

[Andy Bangs]

Thanks, Marlinman. What a great grandfatherly effort. I bet his grandson will remember this loving effort forever.

[Dave R]

Very nice boat. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[Russ Manheimer]

What a joy; thanks for including us in this great story. Hope to see that young man on the Forum some day. He should have some great stories of adventuring in the boat his Grandad built.

Russ

[ricardo de oliveira]

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa35/Gildekar/Gavlbaat/gavl3.jpg
A friend of mine asked why in the hell wooden boats and I showed him this ...

[Marlinman]

So obviously Gavlabaat doesn't mean gaff (sail) boat :D

You maybe tought of something like this :):
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa35/Gildekar/Gavlbaat/Gavlar.jpg
Gavlabaatar racing off Romsa in 2004.

"Gavel" or "gavl" is a Norwegian term for the square end or transom on this kind of boats. These boats was originaly built for fishing. The roll on top of the transom is also caracteristic for the boattype. Its for easy launching and hauling of the fishingnets "Not". The term "Notgavel" is also used for these boats. The largest of these boats, ranging from 28 to about 40 feet was often owned in common by a fellowship of fishermens, a "Notlag", because it was too expensive for one man alone to buy the boat, fishingnets and other equippment needed. They used sails to get to the fishingplaces and its easy to imagine that there would be a bit of racing to get to the best fishingplaces first. Gaff rigged they sails quite well and the yearly "Gavlabaat" regatta on the "Hordakyststemne" is always an event looked forward to.

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa35/Gildekar/Gavlbaat/GavelRomsa2004.jpg
Its ofen so that beauty follws function: Beeing a practical fishingboat foremost, she is beautyful as well.

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa35/Gildekar/Gavlbaat/Gavel2Romsa2004.jpg
Here we see the transom or "Gavel" giving the boat type its name.