Galleri Tegn

The Wooden Boat Culture of the Øhavets

Throughout history boats have been integral in shaping the lives of islanders and their neighbours. The context of this exhibition centres on more recent history of wooden boats designed, built and sailed in the archipelago of southern Fyn.

Many of the exhibits are representative of the boatbuilders who amassed an extraordinary amount of knowledge through their skills as boat designers, builders and restorers, namely Torsden and Ib Ivar Dahl, Kristian Fribo, Ib Nielsen and Tobias Bauneborg Nielsen who recently build a two-masted Smakkerjolle in Svendborg.

The drawings made by Torsten Ivar Dahl are a product of a fertile mind influenced by the historic boat designers Aage Utzon and Colin Archer. In themselves they are the art of the draughtsman and their antiquity pushes them more into the domain of artscapes. The deliberations, thinking and convictions of the man are evidence of his commitment to his profession and understanding of the world on water.

Kristian Fribo designed and built his boat Rosaline over an eight year period (1980-1987) at his home in northern Fyn. The transcript of an interview with him and Annette, his wife, describes the practicalities and thinking behind the design and building process.

The collection witnesses the personal interests of Strynøber and without whom this exhibition would not have been possible. A big thank you goes out to Lone Anesen, her son Laurits and Agnete and her father-in-law Ib Ivar Dahl for so many of the exhibits associated with Torsden Ivar Dahl and the boat models; to Ole Mortansøn for his inspiration, a photo and description of his Aalborgjolle and a painting by Ib Nielsen; Asbjørn Bøg Petersen for his loft finds of a beautiful antique boat model made on the island and an antique yacht made from Agate; Ib Nielsen for the exhibit about his building of Selma at the Øhavets Smakkercentret; Søren Højbjerg for the model of a boat he made from his shoe, aged 8 and a ship made of corn horn and bought by his mother many years ago; and not least Skjold Christensen for a photo of his grandfather and sailing colleagues and for his help with exhibits from the Strynø Archives.

We are also most grateful to the institutions which safeguard the culture wooden boats in our community - The Øhavets Smakkercentret and Denmark’s Museum For Lystsejlads for the loan of exhibits which identify with the workmanship of boatbuilders.