The Wittgenstein Boat

It was absolutely necessary for Wittgenstein to have a boat for access to and from Skjolden. The facility in “Austria” would not be complete without a boat on the lake.

In our search for a boat, we received several offers, including a very old and stately parish ferry from the Svaboe family estate in Nes. But a good deal of restoration work was necessary here. In addition, Harald Vatne insisted that we had to have a beach, there had never been parish ferries on Eidsvatnet. Harald got hold of an old, good boat in Framfjorden. He picked up the boat there on June 8, 2019, and since then he has moored it at the Eidssida of Eidsvatnet, and thus close to county road 55 where Harald can see it well from his home. Harald follows (almost) everyone who stops and takes pictures of the boat as it floats on Eidsvatnet with the Wittgenstein House and the mighty waterfall in the distance in the background. The Wittgenstein boat is without a doubt the most photographed rowing boat in Norway, claim the residents of Eidsvatnet.

The foundation is not aggressive about renting out the boat. This is due to responsibility for safety and administration, and the risk of damage to the boat. Previously, it has happened that a boat laid out for tourists at the campsite has come too close to the estuary and has been taken off the river and taken down to the fjord. The boat has only been used a few times since 2019. The boat has an installed bilge pump for a 12-volt battery. This has ensured the boat runs through the summer without the need for charging.

The boat, including pickup costs, is sponsored by Inge T. Martinussen (1937-2023), Oslo, born in Luster.

Historical use of the boat in the Framfjord

The boat is old and special and has its own history. Previous owner Bjørn Straume (b.1946) from Vik says that his father, Ragnvald Straume, bought the boat in 1937. The boat was new or almost new at the time, but we are not sure of its origin. The boat had a mast and sail that the father used several times. The boat is incredibly easy to row, and a worthy representative of the professionals who built it.

The boat was used for farming in Framfjorden. The most important activity was transporting wood and hay from forest lands and hayfields in the surrounding area. Bjørn also remembers fishing trips on the fjord. They fished for mackerel in the summer, and saithe in the fall, and anything else that would take the hook. He remembers that they once caught a 12-kilogram cod. When they were in elementary school, the kids played steamboat in the yard, and rowed from pier to pier in Framfjorden. On Sundays, he was sometimes used for coffee trips. Then they might row to “Havaii”, a nice headland a little way out in the fjord.

Text: Trygve Martinussen