I båtbyggarnas kölvatten: Tolkning och rekonstruktion av en hantverkstradition i Stockholms Skärgård

Abstract

Through an analysis of old boats and craft reconstructions, this thesis explores historical boatbuilding traditions in the Stockholm archipelago and how craftsmanship skills were shaped and transmitted in the past. The thesis investigates how these and other craft traditions can be understood and reconstructed when no living tradition remains. The focus of the thesis is on the practical reconstruction process, where the interaction between boatbuilders, materials and functions in local waters is central, and on the historical context, where archival material provides insight into the lives of 19th-century boatbuilders. The öka boats in the Stockholm archipelago, a local variation of Nordic clinker boat traditions, were chosen as a case study. The öka boats are open, clinker-built vessels designed for both sailing and rowing, serving as versatile boats for fishing and transport from the outer skerries to sheltered waters. The thesis is based on diverse source material consisting of historical original boats and archival sources, which complement each other and are interpreted through reconstructions. These reconstructions contribute to an iterative reinterpretation that constantly develops understanding of the subject, in this case the boatbuilding tradition in the Stockholm archipelago. The theoretical framework is mainly hermeneutic, inspired by Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophy of interpretation and prejudice (1960). The affordance concept developed by James Gibson (1979) is used to analyse the relationship between the craftsman, materials, environment and tools. As a result of this research, the boatbuilding tradition is understood as a system of measurements and procedures but at the same time a system of flexibility – a set of rules of thumb rather than rigid standards. The variation in the shape and construction methods reflects both geographical differences within the archipelago and the practical conditions (affordances) that builders had access to. Certain misunderstandings about the construction of these boats are clarified; forgotten nomenclature is brought to life. This thesis shows that a particularly challenging area is reconstructing the abstract knowledge that the boatbuilder carries – the tacit knowledge of design and judgement that cannot easily be expressed in words or measurements. In summary, the thesis is an in-depth investigation of an older boatbuilding tradition of the Stockholm archipelago, where practical craft skills and historical research are combined to make visible and protect a multifaceted tradition. It highlights the complexity of cultural heritage, the need for new research methods and the importance of preserving non-living intangibles or traditions as part of a cultural heritage.