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At sea

In coastal districts of southern and western Norway, the Boat Travellers used smacks or decked boats that were rebuilt to meet the family’s needs. There were different types of smacks, such as Lista smacks and Hvaler smacks. The boat was their means of transport, a workplace, and a home. Some Boat Travellers travelled all year long, others only in the summer.

During the 1950s the smacks disappeared, but in Rogaland and Hordaland some families travelled and lived in boats until the end of the 1960s. We also have examples of Travellers from the interior heading down to the coast in the spring and exchanging their horse for a boat. In the autumn they would often sell their boats again and buy horses they would travel with in the interior during winter (Paulsen 2006).

  • Family anchoring for the night in the Arendal area, ca. 1947.
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    Familie som ankrer til for natten i Arendalstraktene, ca. 1947. Foto: Dannevig Foto, Arendal
  • Family in their sailboat ca. 1920. Kopervik, Rogaland.
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    Familie i seilbåt ca. 1920. Kopervik, Rogaland. Foto: Arkivet til Norsk Misjon blant hjemløse. Foto: Riksarkivet
  • Gudrun, Sofie, Solveig and Anne Marie. Taken in the Arendal area ca. 1947.
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    Gudrun, Sofie, Solveig og Anne Marie. Tatt i Arendalstraktene ca. 1947. Foto: Dannevig Foto, Arendal
  • Two smacks with full sails. Ca. 1940.
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    To skøyter med vind i seilene. Ca. 1947. Familien Bredesen et sted mellom Mandal og Brevik. Foto: Dannevig Foto, Arendal
  • Sangreikilen by Lillesand in the early 1950ties.
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    Sangreikilen ved Lillesand i begynnelsen av 1950 årene. Foto: Privat / Anno Glomdalsmuseet

Johan B. explains