Ship preservation


Breathing new life into worn-out vessels
Preserving our floating cultural heritage
At Hardanger Maritime Centre you can watch ship’s craftsmen at work rebuilding and restoring large wooden vessels. They might be replacing the carvel planking, laying a new wooden deck or working on a new rigging. The work requires special expertise, and we have Norways biggest community on this type of work.
Resource centre and yard
Hardanger Maritime Centre has long experience of restoring vessels and boats, fitting out steel ships, rigging and forging. The work is carried out in close cooperation with the owners. Boat and vessel owners can also get advice in connection with questions relating to condition assessment, cost estimates and maintenance etc.
Working according to antiquarian guidelines
As a resource centre and yard, we want to help ensure a high standard of cultural preservation in accordance with the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage’s guidelines and plans. Preserving and using old vessels is about taking care of physical remnants from the past. However, preserving old knowledge and skills is also a learning process. As most of the vessels are in some form of operation or another, safety at sea is also an important issue.
Historical craft traditions
Around 20 craftsmen and women work as:
- wooden boat builders
- ship’s carpenters
- blacksmith (ship’s smith)
- interior joiners
- ropemakers
- riggers
There are also six apprentices at the centre. One of the centre’s most important goals is to ensure craft knowledge is passed on for posterity. The Hardanger Maritime Centre has created an environment in which this knowledge can live on.
Assignments performed for vessel owners:
- Restoration
- Boatbuilding
- Wood work
- Forging and mechanical work
- Ropemaking
- Rigging
- Inspection and condition assessment
- Planning
- Consultancy assignments
- Courses on maintenance and in various crafts
- Historical and technical documentation
Ivar Hoflandsdal is head of the yard: ivar.hoflandsdal@fartoyvern.no