Support Historic Nordic Clinker Boat Building Projects

My Background

I have been a hobby woodworker and boatbuilder for nearly 30 years during my software engineering career. In my free time, I spent much time at maritime centers and private boat builder shops performing tasks such as planking, framing, accessories, and finishing. I purchased a 42-foot wood boat to live on and restore, where I did countless restoration tasks such as refastening and deck work, rot repair, finishing, interior cabinetry, and complete rewiring and engine/systems overhaul. The last 15 years of my woodworking and boat building path can be described as an evolution into pre-industrial woodworking and Nordic clinker boat building. I spent years delving into 18th and 19th-century books, learning and applying old techniques for woodworking and how they were applied to boat building at that time. During this time, I designed and developed many items by proportion such as furniture and tools. I loved Nordic boat designs and also discovered that Nordic boatbuilding techniques went hand in hand with preindustrial woodworking and building by hand and eye with pleasing proportions, often based on the human body.

From 2020 onwards, I transitioned into boat building full-time. I studied Norwegian and Norwegian boat building books on my own for over 3 years and honed skills specific to Nordic clinker boat building. I took multiple jobs in mast and spar building for important projects such as the Spirit of Dana Point, the Tally Ho, and the Hawaiian Chieftain while also making and selling Norwegian-inspired handplanes.

In 2023, I went to Mellemværftet museum in Kristiansund to build a copy of a locally built historic boat, including accessories and oars in the 3-month timeframe that I was allowed. In 2024, my Nordic clinker boat building skills were further utilized on the Sutton Hoo Anglo Saxon ship build and the Hardraade vikingship project, where I, along with team members, fashioned planks, frames, oars, and other accessories from oak logs, primarily with an ax. In particular, the staff at Hardraade quickly recognized that my skills were valued for the project, and how the apprentice there also benefited from my experience in sharing woodworking and boatbuilding skills with others. I have a standing offer as a paid vikingship builder in Norway, but as of this date, am unable to get the required work/residence visa.

An Anglo Saxon Ship, a Viking Ship, a Priest Boat, and a Book

My request for funding is threefold: to continue to directly contribute to two culturally important projects, to plan a build of a historical vessel that hasn't been seen in a hundred years, and to gather first-hand information towards writing a book in English on Nordic clinker boat building.

For the next 10 months, I will be returning to Norway and the UK to continue to contribute to the culturally important projects of the Sutton Hoo Anglo Saxon ship and the Hardraade vikingship. Both ships are tentatively scheduled for launching in 2025 or early 2026, and the next 10 months are especially important for those projects to have additional skilled help. My presence on both projects can also help foster additional collaboration between the UK, Norway, and the US.

The historic boat in question is the Priest Boat from Sognefjord. The priest boat has a rare and very unique place in Norway's cultural and religious heritage. In the 19th century and earlier, it was common for communities to have larger church boats to pick up members of the congregation from various islands and points around fjords and take them to the church grounds, often on Saturdays for a shared gathering and meal before the Sunday service. The priest boat was a smaller version of a church boat, specifically to transport the priest and perhaps some members of the congregation. This particular example was built around 1800 and may have been the last of its kind that was built. With Jay Smith, premier vikingship builder in the US, the team at Hardraade, and myself, we are working on a plan for a collaborative build of this boat with additional secured funding. In about a year, the plan is to build this boat, either at Hardraade in Norway, Minnesota, or Anacortes in Washington state.

My longer-term goal is to write a book on Nordic clinker boatbuilding, where there is currently no such comprehensive book in English. This effort will likely be a collaboration with a couple of other boat builders that I have a working relationship with. Being in the UK and especially in Norway to be actively involved in these projects will give me much more first-hand information through daily work discussions and trips to other projects and working museums. Having a great deal of first-hand information from other Nordic clinker boatbuilding experts is essential towards the book writing goal.