Boat building

Day 3690, Authoritarian Anarchy.

Daily picture, My thoughts

If people ask me what my politics are, I usually say nothing, but if they insist, I will say that I am an anarchist. I have to admit that I don’t know enough about political anarchism, but I do know that no one knows what it means. For me, trying to explain how your specific flavor of politics works is like explaining how something feels; every explanation needs an interpretation. Behind every slogan hides countless books, personalities, and an endless history. None of the ideologies has ever worked in their purest forms, and Anarchy is no exception.

The reason why I say that I am an anarchist is that it should be the natural outcome if you have a few premises.

  1. There is no predetermined purpose in the world, no maker, and no rules but those of nature.
  2. We can think, reason, and create our own rules.
  3. From these two points, it follows that there is no natural hierarchy among people—only the ones we invent.
  4. If we are all the same, we should share all the available resources equally.
  5. We are all the same intrinsically, but also different in our capabilities, like our appearance.

If there ever will be a society based on Anarchism, then the biggest hurdle that has been overcome is education. In an anarchist society, as I see it, it is important that everyone knows their place in the community to prevent the need for authority to step in and assign roles. What I mean by “their place” is simply what a good test at school can already do that determines if you are good at math or with your hands, if you are an organizer or a leader. These are traits that should come naturally as you grow up and can change over time. For many anarchists, it is important that there be no authority, but there is always authority in knowledge, experience, and talent. The project manager might tell you what to do during the day, but in the evening, you tell them how to play the piano.

Underneath, I collected some of my notes about anarchy.

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Day 3686, regarding vessels.

Boat building, Daily picture

These are the rules, or better said, guidelines, we follow when we restore a protected wooden boat. The government department that issues grants (Riksantikvaren) to boatowners expects us to follow these rules as closely as possible, and if we want to deviate from the original (either as it is now or as it was on a well-documented date in the past), we have to ask for permission and explain why.

A proposal for antiquarian policies regarding vessels with protected states.

  • Vessel use and maintenance should have the primary objective of protecting its Cultural Heritage. So that the cultural-historical value is preserved.
  • Restoration should be carried out in accordance with principles that clearly protect the vessel’s original qualities from a thoroughly documented era in its history. The basis for all restoration work on boats with protected status should be a detailed restoration plan for the boat, built on well-documented historical research.
  • The work will be true to its origin. This means that the vessel will appear as just that
    vessel or the vessel type that is defined in a specific period in its history. Motor and other technical
    installations should only be changed so that they interfere in the least possible way with the vessel’s historical origins.
  • The work will be true to its material. This means that all restoration work is a copy of the existing solutions, using materials of the same type or equivalent: oak replaced by oak, brass screws replaced by brass screws, etc.
  • The work will be true to its craftsmanship. This means that, as far as possible, all the details in the hull, interior, and rig are made to the specifications of the time. Replaced parts shall be exact copies of the old and with the same dimensions.
  • The restored vessel shall be reasonably the same. The work will be done with traditional, woodworking methods and to the greatest possible extent with historically accurate materials. Work techniques should harmonize with the period the vessel represents. This means that an originally hand-planed surface shall not be planed with power tools. Natural oil paint should not be painted over with chemical paint or other materials.
  • There shall be established a protection and maintenance plan for the vessel, with the intentions and requirements specified in these plans. The contents of the plan shall be approved by the “Riksantikvaren ” or a “fartøyvernsenter”.

Day 3680, Isegran Fartøyvernsenter.

Daily picture
Launching a boat today, a view of Fredrikstad, and many projects in waiting.

I am working on an introductory brochure/booklet for new employees, students, and temporary workers. It tells about the place where I work, as well as about boatbuilding and preservation in Norway in general. The main text is in Norwegian, and this is the same text, but much shorter.

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Day 2974, just stop.

Daily picture, My thoughts 
The best thing you can do in life is to study history and repair what's left of it. This way, in a thousand years, curious minds can only study what we have repaired and not what we have distroyed.

Let's fix the past and don't think about the future. Let's just stop for a while.

The boat you see here is caled Dyrafjeld. I help with the restauration and hopefully this will extend the life expectancy well over what you can expect. You can read more here:http://www.dyrafjeld.no/index-eng.php

Day 2848, new keel.

Boat building, Daily picture

If you ever restored a wooden boat, you probably know what you see in these pictures and what it entails to change a heavily damage keel for a new one. If you don’t know what is going on, I would like to tell you, but not now; it will take a couple of hours because I don’t want to take shortcuts. You can, of course, become an apprentice boatbuilder for a couple of years and find it out yourself because reading about it or doing an internet search will not help you much. It’s like a metaphor for life and the many questions within; there are no shortcuts…

Day 2641, new project.

Daily picture

I started a new project again. This time on a boat that different boatbuilders had worked on but abandoned. There is little information to work with, but I began working last Friday after two weeks of preparation. There are many steps ahead, and I will keep you updated. If by any chance you know someone who is good with wood and wouldn’t mind living and working in the north of Norway, please let me know; I need help.   

Day 2565, house.

Daily picture

I have a house in Northern Norway. It is nothing special, houses are cheap in that part of the country, the price of a regular car. I bought it 15 years ago, and we lived there with pleasure. When we moved to other parts of Norway for further adventures, we didn’t sell the house in the hope that one day we would go back. Today we decided to return, and seeing the house in this picture feels good. Memories are often colored, so that’s why the picture is in black and white, but I know that I am not mistaken; I always look at the bright side.

I am going to work at the museum again, where I worked before as a wooden boatbuilder. I left there before with mixed feelings, but fresh winds have blown there, so I am curious how it is going over there. I only know that there are several projects and hardly any boatbuilders, so there is enough work. If you like to work as a boatbuilder or know someone who is interested, let me know.

Day 2005, How to measure.

Daily picture

Yesterday I attended the second day of an online Nietzsche conference. It was interesting and it also reminded me of the first time I was at one of these conferences in person. People that read my blog know that I am interested in philosophy in general and Nietzsche in specific but you also know that I work as a boat builder and carpenter and that I don’t live the life of a scholar. The thing that amazed me the first time, and what I remembered yesterday was that they talk about Nietzsche and his work like I do about nails and wood when I am around my work colleagues. Yesterday morning I was discussing the age of the beams we were replacing of an old train station and how we would proceed, later that day I listen to scholars presenting and discussing why this and that part of book x is in contradiction with such and such chapter in book Y. It’s just something I notice and amazes me that no matter what there will always be discussion at work, it makes me wonder if this interaction is more important than the content discussed.

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