Tafjord inshore passenger vessel – Wooden Boats Forever

Tafjord

Name of vessel: «Tafjord»

Boat Type	Motor- cutter. Inshore passenger vessel
Hull Typology	Vertical bow and round counter stern. In Norwegian terminology: kutter-skrog (cutter hull).
Dimensions	l.o.a: 13.30m, beam: 3,67m, brt: ca. 20

Craftsmen & Techniques	Master shipbuilder: Einar Helland. Built in Vestnes, Northwest Norway, in 1927. “Tafjord” was carvel built, but similar (but usually smaller) vessels could also be clinker built. “Tafjord” was built for engine propulsion, but the hull type was popular for fishing vessels even before the age of engines. When the Norwegian fishing fleet was motorized early in the 20th century, the cutter hull turned out to be well fitted for diesel engines, and it continued to be a much-used hull design both for fishing vessels and smaller passenger or cargo vessels until the 1950s. Around year 1900 many cutters were bought second hand from England. But similar hull types had been constructed in Norway at least from the 1870s. They were often built at rural shipyards, where half models were used in the design process. The cutter hull was popular all along the Western Norway, while the double ended hull type was dominating in eastern Norway.
Distinctive Features	Through the first half of the 20th century, the vertical beam and the round or elliptic counter stern is characteristic for the oceangoing fishing fleet as well as coastal freighters and passenger boats. With the motor came the wheelhouse, which was typically placed over the engine room near the rear end of the ship. “Tafjord” were designed for passenger and postal traffic in a specific fjord: Tafjord. Like in many other fjords there were no roads between the communities here. The steep mountain sides made roadbuilding difficult and expensive. “The sea was the road.” In wintertime many of the fjords were covered with ice, and “Tafjord” had belt of ice-enforcements along the water line. It was made of the hard exotic wood “greenheart” with a lawyer of copper plating on top

Craftsmen & Techniques

Master shipbuilder: Einar Helland. Built in Vestnes, Northwest Norway, in 1927. “Tafjord” was carvel built, but similar (but usually smaller) vessels could also be clinker built. “Tafjord” was built for engine propulsion, but the hull type was popular for fishing vessels even before the age of engines. When the Norwegian fishing fleet was motorized early in the 20th century, the cutter hull turned out to be well fitted for diesel engines, and it continued to be a much-used hull design both for fishing vessels and smaller passenger or cargo vessels until the 1950s. Around year 1900 many cutters were bought second hand from England. But similar hull types had been constructed in Norway at least from the 1870s. They were often built at rural shipyards, where half models were used in the design process. The cutter hull was popular all along the Western Norway, while the double ended hull type was dominating in eastern Norway.

Distinctive Features

Through the first half of the 20th century, the vertical beam and the round or elliptic counter stern is characteristic for the oceangoing fishing fleet as well as coastal freighters and passenger boats. With the motor came the wheelhouse, which was typically placed over the engine room near the rear end of the ship. “Tafjord” were designed for passenger and postal traffic in a specific fjord: Tafjord. Like in many other fjords there were no roads between the communities here. The steep mountain sides made roadbuilding difficult and expensive. “The sea was the road.” In wintertime many of the fjords were covered with ice, and “Tafjord” had belt of ice-enforcements along the water line. It was made of the hard exotic wood “greenheart” with a lawyer of copper plating on top

Purpose	Passenger and postal traffic between communities without roads.
Propulsion	Originally a semi diesel engine from the Norwegian Wichmann factory. Today a Volvo Penta.
Type & Origin of Wood	Locally sourced wood, primarily pine. Greenheart (imported from South America) as ice sheathing.
Region & period	“Tafjord” was in traffic in the Tafjord area from it was built in 1927 until the early 1980s, when the roads had reached alle the communities it had served for more than 50 years. The hull is kept intact while the deck arrangements have changed over the years. The present arrangement is true as possible to the 1960 version.