Boatbuilding on Fejø and the Danish Eel Drifters by Christian Nielsen (A Rough Translation with Markup)

Handels- og Søfartsmuseets konservator skildrer det gamle bådebyggeri, som hans bedstefar Niels Christian Nielsen begyndte på Fejø 1878, og som stadig er i familieeje. Han giver en biografisk skitse af sin bedstefar og sin far og fortæller om de af bedstefaderen byggede Fejø åledrivkvaser. Med indfletning af mange kulturhistoriske træk beretter han om arbejdsgangen under bådebygningen med de håndværksmæssige traditioner og skikke, samt lidt om ålevådsfiskeriet og „tyskekvaserne”s indflydelse på dette.

The Conservator of the Trade and Maritime Museum depicts old boatbuilding, like his grandfather Niels Christian Nielsen started on Fejø in 1878, and is still practiced in the family. He gives a biographical sketch of his grandfather and his father and tells about the eel drifters built by his grandfather on Fejø. By weaving in many cultural-historical features, he tells about the traditions and customs of boat building, and a little about the eel fishing tackle and the influence of the German drifters.

Min bedstefar, bådebygger Niels Christian Nielsen, er født på Fejø den 30. januar 1851 som søn af Niels og Karen Andersen. Faderen, Niels Andersen, der var skrædder og møllersvend, er født i Branderslev ved Nakskov. Han havde gået i privat skole i Nakskov og var kommet til Fejø som møllersvend hos gårdejer Mads Poulsen i Østerby. Her lærte han sin kone, Karen Henriksdatter, der var fra Fejø, at kende. De blev gift og bosatte sig i Østerby, hvor han virkede som skrædder. I ægteskabet var der fire børn: Dorthea, Hans Henrik, Rasmus og Niels Christian (der blev kaldet Christian). Børnene tilbragte deres barndom på Fejø og måtte til de blev konfirmerede hjælpe til på gårdene for at tjene med til udkommet i hjemmet.

My grandfather, boatman Niels Christian Nielsen, was born on Fejø on January 30, 1851 as the son of Niels and Karen Andersen. The father, Niels Andersen, who was a tailor and journeyman miller, was born in Branderslev of Nakskov. He had been in private school in Nakskov before coming to Fejø as a miller at the farm of Mads Poulsen, in Østerby. Here he met his wife, Karen Henriksdatter, who was from Fejø . They got married and settled in Østerby, where he worked as a tailor. In the marriage there were four children: Dorthea, Hans Henrik, Rasmus and Niels Christian (who was called Christian). The children spent their childhood at Fejø and were raised to help on the farms, to earn a living for the home.

I skibstømrerlære

Bedstefar kom, da han var blevet konfirmeret, i skibstømrerlære i Karrebæk ved Karrebæksminde. Hans forældre havde af nogle gi skippere fået at vide, at der var en læreplads der. Mellem Fejø og Karrebæksminde var der en ret livlig orbindelse, idet en del skippere om sommeren sejlede med varer mellem de to steder; der var nogen handel med kreaturer og hvad øen ellers kunne eksportere, samt indførsel af teglsten og andre grove varer.

In Shipbuilding

Grandfather came when he had been confirmed as a carpenter’s apprentice in Karrebæk by Karrebæksminde. His parents had been told by some skippers that there was an apprenticeship there. Between Fejø and Karrebæksminde there was a fairly lively connection, as in the summer a number of skippers sailed with goods between the two places; there was some trade in cattle and what else the island could export, as well
imports of bricks and other coarse goods.

Christians mor sørgede for, at hans tøj og andre fornødenheder var i orden, og formanede ham til ærlighed, god opførsel, renlighed og høflighed og lagde ham tillige på sinde, at hvis der satte sig en huggespån på hans økse, skulle han endelig stryge den af, da han ellers kunne hugge sig slemt. Med disse formaninger drog han så afsted med en af de både, som skulle til Karrebæksminde. Det var i sommeren 1865.

Christian’s mother made sure that his clothes and other necessities were in order, and admonished him to honesty, good manners, cleanliness, and courtesy, and also put him in mind that if a chipping saw [wood chip]¹ fell on his ax, he should finally iron [strop]² it of, as he [it]³ might otherwise chop himself³ badly. With these admonitions he then set off with one of the boats that were going to Karrebæksminde. It was in the summer of 1865.

Hans mester var skibsbygmester L. Hansen, og skibsbyggeriet lå mellem Karrebæk og Karrebæksminde. Til dette var der foruden pladsen også lidt landbrug med en jordlod, nogle svin og køer og en hest. Hesten blev også brugt uden for landbruget, når de havde ærinde ind til Næstved efter materialer til skibsbyggeriet. På en af sine første ture, hvor bedstefar skulle hente brædder i „Trælasten” i Næstved, var han ude for et lille uheld. Da han skulle hjem, forskubbede læsset sig langsomt, uden at han lagde mærke til det, før det var for sent. Da var nogle enkelte brædder gledet frem og havde ramt hesten, så den blev bange og løb løbsk. Brædderne begyndte at styne ud til alle sider, og inden han fik hest og vogn standset, var alle brædderne gledet af vognen på et par stykker nær, som tilsammen dannede en vejrmølle. Han måtte se at få samlet alle brædderne op og få vognen læsset igen, og det blev sent, inden han kom hjem. Men det er jo de uheld, der skal til for at give ungdommen erfaring.

His master was shipbuilder L. Hansen, and the shipyard was between Karrebæk and Karrebæksminde. Beside this was also a little farm with a plot of land, some pigs and cows and a horse. The horse was also used outside agriculture when they had errands in Næstved for shipbuilding materials. On one of his first trips, where grandfather had to pick up boards in “Trælasten” in Næstved, he had a small accident. When he was going home the load slowly shifted without him noticing until it was too late. A few boards had slipped forward and had hit the horse, so it got scared and ran wild. The boards began to lean out to all sides, and before he could get the horse and carriage stopped, all the boards had slipped off the carriage on a few pieces near, which together formed a windmill. He had get all the boards picked up and loaded on the wagon again, and it was late before he got home. But these are the accidents that are needed to give young people experience.

På pladsen blev der bygget skonnerter og jagter samt, når der var mindre med arbejde, små joller og hækjoller. Om vinteren og i den mindre travle tid måtte bedstefar også give et nap med i landbruget, da han jo boede hos mesteren. Han fik da også indimellem tid til at lave sig lidt værktøj: høvle, trævinkler, økser, hamre; smeden smedede øksehoveder, hammerhoveder, kalfatrejern osv. til ham. Han fik også træ til en tømrerkiste og lavede sig en sådan. Det er en tradition, som har holdt sig; endnu den dag i dag får skibstømrerlærlingen træ til sin tømrerkiste. Ja selv på jernskibsværfterne var det helt op i 1930’erne skik, at lærlingene en af de sidste uger af læretiden fik træ til deres tømrerkiste, som de så måtte lave sig i arbejdstiden. Den opfattedes nærmest som en slags svendestykke, før det blev obligatorisk at aflægge svendeprøve. Bedstefars tømrerkiste fulgte ham gennem hele livet, og den er endnu idag intakt og i brug. Jeg fik den 1930 af min bedstemor, da jeg var 16 år og var i lære.

On the square¹, schooners and yachts were built as well as, when there was less work, small dinghies and stern dinghies[tenders]². In the winter and during the less busy time, grandfather also had to give a nap in [take a hand in the]³ agriculture, since he lived with the master. He also occasionally had time to make some tools: planers, wooden angles, axes, hammers; the blacksmith forged ax heads, hammer heads, caulking iron, etc. for him. He also got wood for a carpenter’s tool chest and made one for himself. It is a tradition that has held true; even to this day, a ship carpenter’s apprentice gets wood for his carpenter’s tool chest. Yes, even at the iron shipyards, it was customary all the way up to the 1930s that one of the last weeks of the apprenticeship one would get wood for their carpentry tool chest, which they then had to make during working hours. It was almost perceived as a kind of journeyman’s piece before it became mandatory to take a journeyman’s test. Grandfather’s carpenter’s tool chest followed him throughout his life, and it is still intact and in use today. I got it in 1930 from my grandmother when I was 16 and was in apprenticeship.

Skibstømrerkisten

Kistens mål kan variere noget. Min bedstefars kiste var kun lille. Længden ligger i reglen mellem 40 og 48 tommer, bredden mellem 12 og 15 tommer og højden mellem 20 og 25 tommer.

Shipwright’s Chest

The dimensions of the chest may vary slightly. My grandfather’s chest was small. The length is usually between 40 and 48 inches, the width between 12 and 15 inches and the height between 20 and 25 inches.

Kisten havde og har stadig nærmest facon som et chatol med skrå klap, men låget havde hængsler foroven på kisten, så det kunne lukkes op. Den specielle facon var nok fremkommet ved, at kisten under arbejdet ofte måtte stå ude i det fri og derfor gerne skulle være tæt, så der ikke kom regnvand til værktøjet og ødelagde det. Kisten skulle gerne kunne følge skibstømreren gennem hele livet. Den var almindeligvis lavet af 1 tomme og ijA tomme træ – fyr eller i enkelte tilfælde eg – da den, når den var pakket med værktøj,var ret tung. På større pladser kunne den også godt komme ud for hård medfart, fordi der ikke altid blev taget lige stort hensyn dér

The chest had, and almost still has, the shape of a bureau with a sloping flap, but the lid had hinges at the top of the chest so it could be opened. The special shape was probably due to the fact that the chest often had to stand in the open air during the work and therefore wanted to be watertight, so that no rainwater came to the tool and destroyed it. The chest should be able to follow the shipwright throughout life. It was usually made of 1 inch and 1-1/4 inch wood – pine or in some cases oak – as it, when packed with tools, was quite heavy. In larger places, it could also be exposed to harsh traffic, because equal consideration was not always given there.

Kisten var gerne lavet, så at overstykket gik ud over låget, sidestykkerne og bagklædningen. Låget gik ud over side- og langstykkerne. Ved enderne på låget var der revler (tværlister) for at dække for slagvand. Hængslerne var lange bladhængsler (kistehængsler) ; de ældre var håndsmedede. På låget midt på kisten var der et overfald til hængelås. Under kistens bund var der på for- og bagkant en revle for at holde kisten lidt oppe fra jorden, så bunden ikke skulle stå direkte på denne og tage fugtighed. På begge endestykker var der et håndtag, udskåret i træ, så man kunne flytte kisten.

The chest was preferably made so that the top piece went over the lid, the side pieces and the backing. The lid went over the side and long pieces. At the ends of the lid there were reefs (cross strips) to cover for slag water. The hinges were long leaf hinges (chest hinges); the old ones were hand-forged. On the lid in the middle of the chest there was an fitting for a padlock. Under the bottom of the chest there was a lip on the front and back edge to keep the chest a little above the ground, so that the bottom did not have to stand directly on it and take moisture. On both end pieces there was a handle, carved in wood, so that one could move the chest.

Almindeligvis var kisten malet grøn eller brun med sorte håndtag og beslag. Bundrevlerne og bunden udvendig var kultjærede.

Usually the chest was painted green or brown with black handles and fittings. The bottom grooves and the bottom outside were coal tarred.

Under overstykket var kisten indrettet med en hylde med to skuffer til småværktøj : tommestok, blyant, kridt, kridtsnor, lod, passere, dorne, „rottehale” (lille stiksav) og siklinger (trækkejern for at udslette høvlstrøg). Endvidere ottekantpasser, rev (værkkrog til oprivning af gammelt værk i nåderne), optegnelsesbog, i reglen solidt indbundet, med private optegnelser inden for håndværket, høgenæb (tilstikningsinstrument), mejsler osv. I låget var der et beslag til „fukssvans” (større stiksav), ved begge ender, i gavlene, et beslag til stemmejern, huljern og bor, på bagklædningen beslag til vinkler, malstokke, bugthøvle, skruetrækkere og enkelte kalfatrejern, samt et par bøjler til borsving. På kistens forstykke var der en bøjle til håndøkse og stikjern. Alle beslagene var gerne af træ. I bunden lå høvle, benøkse, skarøkse, knibtang, kalfatrekølle, hamre, håndmukkert, koben, kædestrop og andet groft værktøj. Fra gammel tid har det været skik og er det stadig, at en skibstømrer selv skal holde sig med alt sit værktøj. På pladsen forefindes derimod store skruetvinger, forskellige boltebor, boltetrækkere, ambolt o. lign.

Under the top, the chest was equipped with a shelf with two drawers for small tools: ruler, pencil, chalk, chalk line, weight [plumb bob]¹, pass by [dividers]², mandrel, “rat tail” (small jigsaw) and a sickles [scraper]³ (a draw plate for erasing planing strokes). Furthermore, an octagon fit [8-point divider]⁴, seam reamer (a hook for tearing up old work in the seams)⁵, record book – usually firmly bound with private records within the margins, hawk’s beak (stitching [scribing]⁶ instrument), chisels, etc. In the lid there was a bracket for “foxtail” (larger jigsaw); at both ends , in the gables, a bracket for cast iron [chisels]⁷, hollow iron [gouges]⁸, and drill bits; on the rear, brackets for angles, gauges, bay planar [spoke shaves]⁸, screwdrivers and single caulking iron, as well as a pair of brackets for drill turns [braces]⁹. On the front of the chest there was a hanger for hand axe and iron [turning tools]¹⁰. All the fittings were made of wood. At the bottom were planers, bone axes¹¹, sharp axes [adze]¹², pliers, caulking club [mallet], hammers, hand pliers [maul]⁸, crowbars, chain strap¹³ and other rough tools. From ancient times it has been a custom, and still is, that a shipwright must keep all his tools with him. On the site, on the other hand, there are large screw clamps, various bolt drills, bolt pullers, anvils and the like.

Tømrerkisterne var altid noget personligt præget, hvorfor det sjældent var nødvendigt at forsyne dem med indskårne eller malede navne eller forbogstaver.

The carpenters’ chests were always somewhat personal, which is why it was seldom necessary to provide them with incised or painted names or initials.

Samme kiste brugtes selvfølgelig også, hvis ejeren mønstrede som tømmermand i skibsfarten.

Of course, the same chest was also used if the owner mustered as a carpenter in shipping.

Iøvrigt er typen på skibstømrerkisten meget gammel. Den ses således afbildet i Åke Classon Rålamb: Skepsbyggerij (Stockholm
1691).

Incidentally, this type of ship carpenter’s chest is very old. It is thus depicted in Åke Classon Rålamb: Skepsbyggerij (Stockholm
1691).

På Fejø efter læretiden

Efter endt læretid og da det hen i december skortede på arbejdepå skibsbyggeriet, tog bedstefar hjem igen til Fejø. Det var i 1870. Da rejsen foregik på apostlenes heste, nåede han den første dag kun fra Karrebæksminde til Masnedsund. Her vidste han, at krydsjagten lå for oplægning. Denne kryds jagt havde sit virkefelt i Smålandshavet og sydlige Storebælt med station i læ af Rågø. Den blev gerne oplagt hen i december, blev rigget af, renset og tømt for ballastjernene, så folkene kunne komme hjem til jul; i marts blev den tilrigget og gjort klar, og ballast jernene mønjede og indtaget, så den kunne være på station til i. april. Bedstefar kendte en af matroserne, der var fra Fejø, og han fik da også på krydsjagten noget mad samt natlogis. Næste dag fortsatte han så over til Gåbense, velsagtens med sejlfærgen, og hjem til Fejø.

On Fejø after the apprenticeship

After finishing his apprenticeship and when there was a shortage of work in the shipyard in December, grandfather went home again to Fejø. It was in 1870. As the journey took place on the apostles’ horses¹, he reached Masnedsund on the first day, from Karrebæksminde. Here he knew that the cross-hunting [customs boat]² was for laying [laid up]³. This cross-hunting [customs boat]² had its field of action [patrol area] in the Småland Sea and the southern Great Belt with a station sheltered by Rågø. It was often laid out [laid up]³ in December, de-rigged, cleaned and emptied of the ballast so that the people could come home for Christmas; in March it was rigged and made ready, and the ballast irons were mowed [coated with anti-rust paint]⁴ and stowed so that it could be at the station in April. Grandfather knew one of the sailors was from Fejø, and he also got some food and night lodging on the cruiser. The next day he then continued over to Gåbense, probably with the sailing ferry, and home to Fejø.

Han boede nu hos sine forældre og havde i den følgende tid forskelligt reparationsarbejde, ligesom han byggede et par joller og nogle små pramme. Da dette byggeri skete uden tegninger og efter øjemål, havde han lidt uheld med sin første pram. Da han nemlig havde lavet bunden og sat de to første range på, kunne han se, at den ikke havde den rigtige facon til at blive en god pram. Han satte så resolut en ny bund i prammen højere oppe og fik den så, som han havde ønsket den. Den første bund brugte han til en anden pram, og det lykkedes ham da også at give denne den ønskede facon, så begge pramme blev gode. Der var jo ikke råd til at kassere noget, da prisen for en pram på 10 å 12 fod var 18 å 20 rigsdaler.

He now lived with his parents and during that time he took on various repair work, along with building a few dinghies and some small barges. As this construction happened without drawings and on purpose [by eye]¹, he had some misfortune with his first barge. When he had made the bottom and put the first two ranks [strakes]² on, he could see that it did not have the right shape to be a good barge. He then resolutely put a new bottom in the barge higher up and got it as he had wanted it. He used the first bottom for another barge, and he managed to give it the desired shape, so both barges were good. It was not possible to afford to discard anything, as the price for a barge of 10 to 12 feet was 18 to 20 rigsdaler.

Bedstefar foretog også adskillige reparationer på de forskellige fartøjer i oplandet. Blandt andet fik en ældre jolle på Rågø ny klædning. Her var han også nær kommet ud for et uheld, som han dog fik afværget i tide. Fiskeren havde købt klædningsbrædder i Nakskov, og for at de skulle være lettere at bøje i facon på jollen, skulle de lægges i vand en halv dags tid. Da der ved arbejdspladsen var en mose, smed man brædderne ud i denne, men det var med det resultat, at de hurtigt krummede sig og blev hule, da de kun blev våde på den ene side. Bedstefar så det heldigvis, da han om aftenen kom ned for at kigge til dem. Han fik så fat på nogle sten, som han lagde på brædderne, så de kunne synke og blive våde over det hele. De rettede sig da også, så de blev brugbare, og arbejdet på jollen blev pænt og tilfredsstillende.

Grandfather also made several repairs to the various vessels in the catchment area [vicinity]¹. Among other things, an older dinghy on Rågø got new clothing [planking]². Here he had also almost come across an accident, which he, however, had averted in time. The fisherman had bought planking boards in Nakskov, and in order for them to be easier to bend in shape on the dinghy, they had to be put in water for half a day. There was a bog at the workplace, so the boards were thrown into it, but it as a result, they quickly curved and became hollow, as they only got wet on one side. Happily, Grandpa saw it when he came down in the evening to look at them. He then grabbed some stones, which he laid on the boards so they would sink and get wet all over. They corrected themselves so that they became usable, and the work on the dinghy became neat and satisfying.

En anden større reparation var istandsættelsen af en mindre båd i Lirne (Korslunde sogn, Nordvestlolland). Den var blevet meget forsømt og trængte til at blive kalfatret overalt udvendig. Da den var klinkbygget, var det lidt besværligt at komme til i „landene” (mellem klædningsplankerne), og bedstefar og fiskeren gravede da resolut et hul i sandet under bådens ene side og væltede den, så den fik bunden i vejret. Derved blev det nemmere at komme til at kalfatre og bege den, og beget løb nu også bedre ned i nåderne.

Another major repair was the refurbishment of a smaller boat in Lirne (Korslunde parish, Northwest Lolland). It had become very neglected and needed to be calibrated [caulked]¹ everywhere outside. As it was clinker-built, it was a little difficult to get to in the “lands” [or “laps”] (between the cladding [hull]² planks), and grandfather and the fisherman then resolutely dug a hole in the sand under one side of the boat and overturned it, so as to get to the bottom. This made it easier to get to calving and beg it [caulk and pitch it]³ and the stream now also ran better into the graces [seams]⁴.

Det var almindeligt, at unge bådebyggere den første tid tog ud til fiskerne og bådejerne og foretog reparationsarbejderne på stedet. Mange gange byggede de endda små fiskerbåde hos fiskerne, som selv købte materialerne ind. Bådebyggerne boede imens hos fiskeren og fik en passende betaling for deres arbejde. Ofte sad de så om aftenen og snittede pinde til klædning og spanter for at spare på spigre og klinker. Dette hjemmebådebyggeri blev forøvrigt brugt helt op til århundredskiftet ved Nordenhuse på Fyn. På den måde blev bådebyggerne også kendt på egnen og kunne senere nedsætte sig med eget værksted og hjem, når de stiftede familie.

It was common for young boat builders to go out to the fishermen and boat owners for the first time and carry out the repair work on site. Many times they even built small fishing boats with the fishermen, who bought the materials themselves. The boat builders meanwhile lived with the fisherman and received an appropriate payment for their work. Often they would sit in the evening and cut sticks [treenails]¹ for clothing [planking]² and frames to save on nails and clinker [clinch nails]³. Incidentally, this home-boatyard was used right up until the turn of the century at Nordenhuse on Funen. In this way, the boat builders also became known in the area and could later establish themselves with their own workshop and home when they started a family.

På langfart

Det skortede på ingen måde på arbejde for bedstefar, men da han i foråret 1872 fik tilbud om at få hyre som tømmermand på klipperskonnerten „Hother” af Nakskov, slog han til og tog med. Skonnerten målte 82 læster (142 74/100 tons) og tilhørte firmaet Puggaard & Hage i Nakskov. Den førtes af skipper J. P. C. Hansen (kaldet „Hother-Hansen”). Styrmanden var fra Fejø ; det var ham, der havde skaffet bedstefar hyren. Der var fem mands besætning på skonnerten : skipper, styrmand, tømmermand, en matros og en dreng. Hyren var for tømmermanden 22 rdlr. om måneden, og rejsen varede fra 18. marts til 22. juni

On long voyages

There was no shortage of work for grandfather, but when in the spring of 1872 he was offered a job as a carpenter on the clipper schooner “Hother” by Nakskov, so he agreed. The schooner measured 82 lasts (142.74 tons) and belonged to the company Puggaard & Hage in Nakskov, which was led by skipper JPC Hansen (called “Hother-Hansen”). The helmsman was from Fejø; it was he who had procured grandfather the hire. There were five-man crew on the schooner: skipper, helmsman, carpenter, a sailor and a boy. The rent for the carpenter was 22 rdlr. per month, and the journey lasted from March 18 to June 22

Inden afrejsen anskaffede bedstefar sig træskostøvler, olietøj m. m., ialt for 22 rdlr., som han fik i forskud. Rejsen gik til Brasilien efter sukker, og det var hans første tur over Nordsøen. Dér fik de da også deres første storm, så skonnerten flere gange bordfyldtes. Bedstefars træskostøvler blev fyldt med vand, og hver gang tog han dem af og hældte vandet ud. Da styrmanden havde set dette nogle gange, sagde han : „Christian, du tror da vel ikke, du kan varme hele Nordsøen op? Behold du hellere det vand, du har i støvlerne, og nøjes med at varme dét op! ” Det var jo et godt råd, og det blev også fulgt resten af den tid, bedstefar sejlede.

Before leaving, grandfather purchased wooden [soled]¹ boots, oilcloth, etc., for a total of 22 rdlr., which he received in advance. The trip went to Brazil for sugar, and it was his first trip across the North Sea. There they also had their first storm, so the schooner was filled [swamped]² several times. Grandpa’s boots were filled with water, and each time he took them off and poured the water out. When the helmsman had seen this a few times, he said: “Christian, do you not think you can heat the whole North Sea? You better keep the water you have in your boots and just warm it up! “It was good advice, after all, and it was also followed the rest of the time Grandpa sailed.

På turen ud anløb skonnerten Antwerpen, hvor bedstefar supplerede sit værktøj for en udgift af 20 francs. Han sendte endvidere to breve hjem, hvad der kostede 80 centimer i porto. Det var de eneste breve han fik lejlighed til at skrive undervejs. De samlede udgifter i Antwerpen beløb sig i dansk valuta til 7 rdlr. 34 skill, og pengene fik han i forskud

On the way out, the schooner called at Antwerp, where Grandpa supplemented his tools for an expense of 20 francs. He also sent two letters home, which cost 80 centimer in postage. These were the only letters he had the opportunity to write along the way. The total expenses in Antwerp amounted to 7 rdlr in Danish currency. 34 skill, and the money he got in advance

Rejsen gik uden uheld til Brasilien, men navigationen havde dog snydt dem noget, for da de kom på bredden af anløbspladsen, var de imod beregningen endnu 2-1/2 døgn til søs og måtte så sejle stik vester i. Men dette var en almindelig forseelse dengang, da man jo ikke havde så gode ure, at man kunne regne længden nøjagtigt ud. Skonnerten måtte nu løbe langt op ad en flod til en lille plads, hvor sukkeret var billigt, fordi kun få skibe kunne komme derop. Sukkeret var pakket i trækister, og for at få lasten stuvet fuld, måtte mange af kisterne skæres over og have indsat nye gavle. Dette gav meget arbejde til tømmermanden, og det var også en af årsagerne til at skonnerten havde en sådan med. Lastningen gik pænt, og de sejlede afsted igen.

The voyage went without incident to Brazil, but the navigation had cheated them somewhat, because when they came to the shore [latitude]¹ of the port of call, they were against the calculation another 2-1/2 days at sea and then had to sail far west in. But this was a common offense at the time , since you did not have such good watches that you could calculate the length [of time] exactly. The schooner now had to run far up a river to a small place where the sugar was cheap because only a few ships could get up there. The sugar was packed in wooden chests, and to get the load stowed full, many of the chests had to be cut over [down] and new gables [ends]² inserted. This gave a lot of work to the carpenter, and it was also one of the reasons why the schooner had one with him. The loading went well and they sailed away again.

På hjemturen anløb de Newcastle, hvor bedstefar atter købte værktøj, ialt for 10 shilling ( = 4 rdlr. 50 skill. dansk). Derfra afsejlede de til Malmø, hvor sukkerlasten blev losset, og herfra afsendte bedstefar det tredie brev hjem. Ved ankomsten til Nakskov havde turen varet 3 måneder og 4 dage. Den var forløbet uden uheld og havde indbragt bedstefar 68 rdl. 90 skill. Ved afregningen var der en rest på 24 rdl. 88 skill, når forskuddene, til tøj og porto samt til køb af værktøj var trukket fra. Hans afregningsbog eksisterer endnu.

On the way home they visited Newcastle, where grandfather again bought tools, for a total of 10 shillings (= 4 rdlr. 50 shillings. Danish). From there they sailed to Malmö, where the sugar cargo was unloaded, and from here grandfather sent the third letter home. Upon arrival in Nakskov, the trip had lasted 3 months and 4 days. It had proceeded without accident and had brought in grandfather 68 rdl. 90 skill. At the settlement, there was a balance of 24 rdl. 88 skill, when the advances, for clothes and postage as well as for the purchase of tools had been deducted. His settlement book still exists.

Bedstefar sejlede så fortsat de følgende år som tømmermand, da en ung mand dengang ikke rigtig blev regnet, hvis han ikke havde sejlet på langfart. Han tog dog mest hyre på dampskibe, som dengang havde en ret stor sejlføring, og mest i nord- og østersøfarten. Han forfærdigede i den periode forskelligt værktøj: langhøvl, vinkler og mal (smigstok) og lavede også lidt sømandshusflid, blandt andet en model af en newfoundlandskonnert og et moderne klipperskib. Han blev dog først helt færdig med modellerne, efter at han kom hjem til Fejø.

Grandfather then continued to sail the following years as a carpenter, when [as] a young man at the time was not really counted if he had not sailed on long voyages. However, he mostly hired [on] steamships, which at the time had a fairly large sailing direction [long voyage]¹, and mostly in North and Baltic shipping. During that period, he manufactured various tools: long planers, angles and paint (pliers) [bevel gage]² and also made a little sailor housework [craftwork]³, including a model of a Newfoundland schooner and a modern clipper ship. However, he only completely finished the models after he came home to Fejø.

1874 var bedstefar til orlogs. Han var ombord i fregatten „Jylland” og var som befaren matros med på kong Christian IX’s rejse til Island med fregatten. Efter tjenestetiden fortsatte han atter i nordog østersøfarten, men efter at have sejlet et par år til, drog han i 1877 kjern til Fejø for at begynde sit eget bådebyggeri der. Han havde under sin sejltid sparet lidt penge sammen til at nedsætte sig for, og det meste værktøj havde han som omtalt forlængst anskaffet sig.

1874 was grandfather to war. He was on board the frigate “Jylland” and was, as an experienced sailor, on King Christian IX’s voyage to Iceland with the frigate.
After his service he continued again in the North and Baltic shipping, but after sailing a few more years, in 1877 he went to Fejø to begin his own boatyard there. During his sailing time he had saved a little money together to settle down, and as mentioned, he had acquired most of the tools a long time ago.

Som bådebygger på Fejø.

I løbet af vinteren 1877-78, hvor han boede hos sine forældre, erhvervede han et lille engstykke i Østerby nede ved Dybvig. Her byggede han sig et bindingsværkshus med tegltag, 10-1/2 x 18 alen stort. I den vestre ende var der værksted, 10-1/2×7 alen, med port i den søndre side. 1878 fik han borgerskab som, bådebygger. Femø, Fejø og Askø udgjorde et birk, og birkedommergården, hvor borgerskabsbeviset blev udstedt, lå på Fejø. Bedstefar havde også fået lavet sig noget groft værktøj: bukke, savbukke, en høvlebænk, en filebænk med en skruestik på den højre side og på venstre side en stor skruestik af træ med en skruetvinge som spindel, et par store skruetvinger, kædestropper, et par store tænger, ligesom han havde lavet sig nogle kiler, klamper, klemmer og andet nødtørftigt værktøj. Fremdeles byggede han en svedekiste; den var anbragt inde i værkstedet, og fyranordningen var simpelthen vaskekedlen i vaskehuset ved siden af.

As a boat builder on Fejø

During the winter of 1877-78, when he lived with his parents, he acquired a small piece of meadow in Østerby down by Dybvig. Here he built a half-timbered house with a tile roof, 21-1/2 x 37 feet in size. At the west end there was a workshop, 21-1/2 x 14-1/2 feet¹, with a gate on the south side. In 1878 he was granted citizenship as a boat builder. Femø, Fejø, and Askø constituted a ‘birk‘, and the birk court, where the citizenship certificate was issued, was on Fejø. Grandpa also made some rough tools for himself: bucks², saw bucks², a planer bench [carpenter’s bench]³, a file bench [workbench (or tool bench)]⁴ with a vice on the right side and on the left side a large wooden vise with a vice [C-clamp]⁵ as a spindle, a pair of large vice [C-clamps]⁵, chain straps, a pair of large pliers, just as he had made himself some wedges, cleats, clamps and other needy tools. He also built a sweat-chest [steam box]; it was located inside the workshop and the heating device was simply the boiler in the laundry room next door.

Bedstefar gik nu straks i gang med at bygge og lave reparationsarbejde. Der var dengang ingen havn på Fejø, kun et lille brohoved, et par stenarme og 4 stenkar, hvoraf det ene kunne bruges til overkrængning for kølhaling af mindre både og jagter. Af større nybygninger kan nævnes tre joller til Vejrø. Den ene blev bygget som postjolle og var i brug til 1910. Alle tre joller var bygget uden tegninger, og de var helt hans egen type. De var gode sejlere. Efter tidens byggemåde havde de retstående forstævn, men et smukt opkilet agterskib, rundgattet og med krumt indfaldende stævn over vandet, forpå en let og fiks måde at få lidt rundt agterskib i dækket. Der blevogså bygget nogle 18 fods damjoller, en lodsjolle til lods Spender, Masnedø, en mindre jolle til fiskerikontrolfartøjet „Falken” i 1890 til en pris af 225 kroner, og i 1891 og 93 byggede han et par mindre både på ca. 25 fod. Disse både havde en fin facon og havde til en vis grad de nye krydsjagter, som „mester” E. C. Benzon i Nykøbing F. havde konstrueret dem, som forbillede. De var byggede med en underløben rund forstævn, smukt udfaldende for- og agterskib og med en rund og fyldig dæksplan. De var gode sejlere og blev forbillede for den senere kendte Fejø-type, og også for Fejø-åledrivkvaserne. Alle disse både og joller var byggede efter skabeloner og uden tegninger, men efter syn og erfaring.

Grandpa now immediately set about building and doing repair work. At that time there was no harbor on Fejø, only a small bridgehead, a couple of stone arms [breakwater?] and 4 stone vessels [gabions]¹, one of which could be used for overturning for keel hauling of smaller boats and yachts¹. Of the larger new buildings, three dinghies to Vejrø can be mentioned. One was built as a mail dinghy and was in use until 1910. All three dinghies were built without drawings and they were completely his own type. They were good sailors. According to the construction of the time, they had upright bow [stem]², but a beautifully wedged [framed]³ stern, round-tipped [round-buttocks]⁴ and with a curved bow over the water [inwardly curved sternpost]⁵ [like tumblehome at the sides] , on the front [frankly]⁶ an easy and neat way to get a little round stern in the deck. Some 18-foot pond dinghies were also built, a pilot dinghy for pilot Spender, Masnedø, a smaller dinghy for the fishing control vessel “Falken” in 1890 at a price of 225 kroner, and in 1891 and 93 he built a couple of smaller boats of about 25 feet. These boats had a fine shape and to a certain extent had the new cruiser yachts, which “master” EC Benzon in Nykøbing F. had constructed as a model. They were built with a submerged round stem, beautifully protruding fore and aft and with a round and full deck plan. They were good sailors and became a model for the later known Fejø type, and also for the Fejø eel drifters. All these boats and dinghies were built according to templates and without drawings, but according to sight and experience.

Da havnen i Fejø blev bygget 1882, må der have været godt med arbejde i bådebyggeriet, da bedstefar ikke deltog i det egentlige havnearbejde, men først, da der skulle lægges brohammer. Arbejdet dermed blev ledet af en hjulmand og en snedker Chr. Olsen, men da de skulle rette pælene ind i hammeren, og disse ikke stod helt, som de skulle, vidste de ikke, hvordan de skulle gribe sagen an, og fik så bedstefar til at hjælpe sig med dette arbejde.

When the harbor in Fejø was built in 1882, there must have been good work in the boatyard, as grandfather did not participate in the actual harbor work, but only when a bridge hammer¹ was to be laid. The work thus was led by a wheelwright and a carpenter Chr. Olsen, but when they had to straighten the poles into the hammer, and these did not stand quite as they should, they did not know how to approach the matter, and then got grandfather to help them with this work.

Efter nogle års forlovelse giftede bedstefar sig den 17. maj 1885 med Rasmine Margrethe Rasmussen, som var født på Fejø 2. dec. 1862. Der var stadig rigeligt arbejde, og han må også have haft lidt fortjeneste, for det følgende år købte han et stykke jord norden for op til den plads, han allerede havde. Jordstykket målte 29×60 alen. Til jordstykket hørte en vej, ca. 150 alen lang og 6 alen bred, som førte hen til den offentlige kommunevej. I sommeren 1886 flyttede han huset op på det nye jordstykke, dels fordi huset på den gamle plads havde ligget temmelig lavt, så der ved højvande kunne komme til at stå vand på gulvet, dels for at han kunne få en tømmerplads foran værkstedet. Til hjælp ved flyttearbejdet havde han en ung mand, Chr. Mortensen, som også i travle perioder havde hjulpet ham med andet arbejde, samt den nævnte snedker Chr. Olsen, der stod for havnearbejdet i 1882. De lagde først en kampestensgrund af tilhuggede sten, hvor huset skulle stå, hvorefter det blev nedtaget og igen opstillet på den nye grund. Det voldte ikke nogen vanskeligheder, da huset var af bindingsværk, men nogle af murstenene tog jo trods alt lidt skade, og disse blev derfor brugt i nordsiden og i vestgavlen, som så blev kalket, mens sydsiden og østgavlen stod i gule sten og egetræsbindingsværk. Samtidig med flytningen blev værk stedet i den vestre ende forlænget med 3-1/2 alen mod syd i en bredde af 7 alen. Svedekisten blev flyttet og opsat langs vejen; den fik et åbent ildsted, hvor der kunne fyres med gammelt brænde. For brandfarens skyld var det godt, at den lå et stykke fra værkstedet. Her har den stadig sin plads.

After a few years of engagement, my grandfather married on 17 May 1885 to Rasmine Margrethe Rasmussen, who was born on Fejø 2 Dec. 1862. There was still plenty of work, and he must also have had some profit, for the following year he bought a piece of land north of the place he already had. The plot of land measured 59-3/4 x 123-1/2 feet. To the plot belonged a road, approx. 310 feet long and 12-1/4 feet wide, which led to the public municipal road. In the summer of 1886 he moved the house up to the new plot of land, partly because the house in the old square had been rather low, so that at high tide there could be water on the floor, partly because he could get a timber place in front of the workshop. To help with the relocation work, he had a young man, Chr. Mortensen, who also during busy periods had helped him with other work, as well as the mentioned carpenter Chr. Olsen, who was in charge of the harbor work in 1882. They first laid a boulder plot of hewn stone, where the house was to stand, after which it was taken down and re-erected on the new plot. It did not cause any difficulties, as the house was made of timber, but some of the bricks were damaged after all, and these were therefore used in the north side and in the west gable, which was then whitewashed, while the south side and east gable were in yellow stone and oak timber. Simultaneously with the move, the work site at the western end was extended by 7-1/4 feet to the south in a width of 14-1/2 feet. The steam chest was moved and set up along the road; it got an open fireplace where you could burn with old firewood. For the sake of the fire hazard, it was good that it was located some distance from the workshop. Here it still has its place.

Der var i de følgende år meget arbejde i havnen med at krænge og kølhale de ved øen hjemmehørende jagter og skonnerter, og der kom også fartøjer fra de omliggende pladser Bandholm og Kragenæs. Til at srå sia: tii hånde i den travle tid havde bedstefar en hustømrer Rasmus Jørgensen og den nævnte unge Christian Mortensen. Han havde også noget arbejde på Skalø (ved vestenden af Fejø) hos fisker Rasmus Nielsen. Det blev til en lang dag, når han arbejdede dér. Han havde 1-1/2 times gang til og fra Skalø morgen og aften, og da arbejdstiden var fra kl. 6 morgen til kl. 6 aften, dog med middagspause, blev det sent, inden han kunne komme hjem. Han måtte tidligt op om morgenen for at være ved arbejdet k l 6. Men sådan var nu engang arbejdsforholdene på den tid.

In the following years, there was a lot of work in the harbor to heel and keel [careen]¹ the yachts and schooners belonging to the island, and vessels also came from the surrounding berths Bandholm and Kragenæs. In order to help in the busy time, grandfather had a house carpenter Rasmus Jørgensen and the mentioned young Christian Mortensen. He also had some work on Skalø (at the west end of Fejø) with fisherman Rasmus Nielsen. It turned into a long day when he worked there. He had an 1-1/2 hour walk to and from Skalø morning and evening, and when the working hours were from kl. 6 am to noon. 6 pm (with a dinner break) it was late before he could get home. He had to get up early in the morning to be at work at 6 o’clock. But that was the working conditions at that time.

I 1892 byggede bedstefar en håndmuddermaskine til Fejø havn. Den blev bygget på dagløn fra i juni til i september, og det tog 61 dage å 10 timer til en dagløn af 3 kroner. Muddermaskinen havde en størrelse af 24 fods længde, 10-1/2 fods bredde og 1 fod 8 tommers højde. Den var bygget af fyr med ender af 2 tommer planker, boltet sammen, 3 tommers bund og 5/4 tommes klædning på klink. Den gjorde fyldest indtil op i 1930’erne.

In 1892, grandfather built a hand mud machine [dredge]¹ for Fejø harbor. It was built on a daily wage from June to September, and it took 61 days to 10 hours for a daily wage of 3 kroner. The mud machine [dredge]¹ had a size of 24 feet long, 10-1 / 2 feet wide and 1 foot 8 inches high. It was built of pine with ends of 2 inch planks, bolted together, 3 inch bottom and 5/4 inch cladding on clinker [planking]². It did its fullest until up in the 1930s.

Af andre specielle fartøjer, der blev bygget, kan nævnes nogle isjoller til færgestederne Fejø og Kragenæs (færgemændene Ole Larsen og Ole Bjørn), på 18 fod; to mindre isjoller til amtet, en til Vejrø og en til Lilleø (Askø kommune), begge beregnet til lægetransport om vinteren; senere lignende isjoller til lodserierne på Femø og Rågø. Efter sagkyndiges udsagn var disse isjoller lettere at arbejde med end f. eks. dem ved storebæltsoverfarten, og de bruges endnu idag ved Rågø og Guldborg lodserierne (Femø lodseri blev omkr. 1930 overflyttet tii Guldborg).

Of other special vessels that were built, some ice dinghies can be mentioned to the ferry places Fejø and Kragenæs (the ferrymen Ole Larsen and Ole Bjørn), at 18 feet; two smaller ice dinghies to the county, one to Vejrø and one to Lilleø (Askø municipality), both intended for medical transport in the winter; later similar ice dinghies to the pilot series on Femø and Rågø. According to experts, these ice dinghies were easier to work with than, for example, those at the Great Belt crossing, and they are still used today at the Rågø and Guldborg pilotages (Femø pilotage was transferred to Guldborg around 1930).

Det synes som om der har været nok at bestille, men kun ringe fortjeneste for bedstefar. Småskipperne, som han arbejdede for, kunne øjensynlig med mindre slæb tjene mere end han. Derfor købte han den 7. maj 1894 efter moden overvejelse en lille klipperskonnert „Niels” på 12 læster (19 tons) fra firmaet Qvade i Bandholm. Den var bygget i Sakskøbing 1861 og var rigget med pælemast til stormast og med stang på fokkemasten. Han kendte skonnerten udmærket, da han i flere år havde haft den til kølhaling og reparation. Prisen var 1600 kr. Han ændrede dens navn til skonnert „Dyvia” af Fejø.

It seems like there has been enough to order [orders], but little profit for Grandpa. The small skippers he worked for could apparently earn more than he with less tow [effort]¹. Therefore, on May 7, 1894, after mature consideration, he bought a small clipper schooner “Niels” of 12 lasts (19 tons) from the company Qvade in Bandholm. It was built in Sakskøbing in 1861 and was rigged with a pole mast² for a mainmast and with a pole [topmast]³ on the jib mast [foremast]⁴. He knew the schooner very well, as he had had it for keel hauling and repair for several years. The price was DKK 1,600. He changed its name to the schooner “Dyvia” of Fejø.

Imidlertid skete der samtidig noget, som helt skulle vælte hans planer om at sejle med den. Han havde nemlig om vinteren bygget sin første åledrivkvase, som blev afleveret 19. april 1894 i bilfærdig stand til fisker Frits Nielsen i Karrebæk. Den var 25 fod mellem stævnene, 9 fod bred og 3 fod 8 tommer høj, og prisen var 400 kr. Da han straks efter afleveringen fik bestilling på en lignende åledrivkvase til fisker Christiansen i Karrebæksminde, måtte han den 14. maj 1894, en uge efter købet af skonnerten, meddele assuranceselskabet, at han oplagde denne på ubestemt tid, idet han ikke regnede med at komme ud at sejle med den dette år. Da hans bror, Rasmus Nielsen, som var bosiddende på Fejø, men om sommeren sejlede som styrmand med forskellige danske skonnerter på islandsfiskeri, hellere ville sejle som småskipper, tog han om efteråret den 17. november 1894 borgerskab som skibsfører og sejlede derefter med skonnerten. Han overtog den forøvrigt senere, og den fik da igen sit gamle navn „Niels”. Rasmus Nielsen havde den til 1907, men den udgik først af registret 1928.

At the same time, however, something happened that completely overturned his plans to sail with it. In the winter, he had built his first eel drifter, which was handed over on 19 April 1894 in a car-ready [rig-ready]¹ condition to fisherman Frits Nielsen in Karrebæk. It was 25 feet between the rallies [stem and stern post]², 9 feet wide and 3 feet 8 inches high, and the price was DKK 400. When immediately after the delivery he received an order for a similar eel drifter for fisherman Christiansen in Karrebæksminde, he had until 14 May 1894, a week after the purchase of the schooner, to inform the insurance company that he would store it indefinitely, as he did not expect to go out sailing with it this year. When his brother, Rasmus Nielsen, who lived on Fejø, but in the summer sailed as a helmsman with various Danish schooners on Icelandic fishing, would rather sail as a small skipper, in the autumn of 17 November 1894 he took citizenship as master and then sailed with the schooner. He took it over later, and it got its old name “Niels” again. Rasmus Nielsen had it until 1907, but it was not removed from the register until 1928.

De tyske åledrivkvaser

Grunden til at byggeriet af åledrivkvaser tog et sådant opsving, og at efterspørgselen efter dem blev så stor, at der var mulighed for at få en rimelig pris for arbejdet, var, at tyskerne ca. 1872 begyndte fiskeri i Danmark med åledrivkvaser. Årsagen hertil var, at der i de tyske farvande ved Stralsund kun måtte fiskes med et bestemt antal kvaser, og de unge fiskere kunne derfor ikke begynde fiskeri selv, før en gammel fisker enten holdt op eller døde, hvis de da ikke kunne købe de gamle fiskere ud ved at overtage deres gamle kvaser. Da driftige fiskere af folkene på de tyske handelskvaser havde fået oplyst, at forholdene i Danmark ved Kallehave, i Smålandsfarvandet og i Lillebælt var meget lig de tyske, tog de med deres kvaser op til disse pladser og begyndte at drive ålevådsfiskeri dér. De fik også mange ål, – flere end de stedlige fiskere tog med deres håndvåd, soppevåd og landdragningsvåd. Da danskerne let kunne se fordelen ved det nye fiskeri, som også var mere behageligt og nemt, lagde de deres metoder om og gik over til de tyske. De begyndte at købe de indførte tyske kvaser, men det varede ikke længe, før der i Kallehave, Kolding og Fredericia blev bygget kvaser, som var kopieret efter de tyske.

The German eel drifters

The reason why the construction of eel drifters took such a recovery, and that the demand for them became so great that it was possible to get a reasonable price for the work, was that in approximately 1872 the Germans began fishing in Denmark with eel drifters. The reason for this was that in the German waters at Stralsund only a certain number of drifters could be fished, and the young fishermen could therefore not start fishing themselves until an old fisherman either stopped or died, if they could not buy the old ones. fishermen out by taking over their old drifters. When enterprising fishermen had been informed by the people on the German commercial drifters that the conditions in Denmark at Kallehave, in Smålandsfarvandet and in the Little Belt were very similar to the German ones, they took their drifters up to these places and started fishing for eel. They also got many eels – more than the local fishermen took with their hand net¹, mushroom [wading]² net and land dragnet³. When the Danes could easily see the advantage of the new fishing, which was also more pleasant and easy, they changed their methods and switched to the Germans. They started buying the imported German drifters, but it did not take long before drifters were built in Kallehave, Kolding and Fredericia, which were copied after the German ones.

Flere af de tyske fiskere bosatte sig forøvrigt i Danmark, da de havde bedre forhold her end hjemme, og mange blev også gift med danske piger.

Several of the German fishermen also settled in Denmark, as they had better conditions here than at home, and many also married Danish girls.

Tyskekvasen var ca. 31 fod lang mellem stævnene og var rundgattet med ret skarpt agterskib. De lidt dyrere og finere havde rund elliptisk hæk. De havde alle en slags klipperstævn og var forsynet med et sidestiksværd (sidekøl), der kunne skiftes fra side til side. Sværdet var nødvendigt for ikke at drive sidelæns, da kvasen kun havde et ringe dybgående. Kvasen var kravelbygget med den øverste planke på klink. Den havde fordæk med ruf og beboelse, sidedæk, og agter en åben dam til fiskene. Den var rigget med to master, spryd og drivbom, og sejlføringen var løs klyver, stagfok, storsejl uden bom, stort topsejl og løs mesan.

The German drifter was approx. 31 feet long between the bows [stem and stern post]¹ and was rounded with a rather sharp stern. The slightly more expensive and finer ones had round elliptical hedges [sterns]². They all had a kind of clipper stem and were fitted with a side stick sword [leeboard]³ (side keel) that could be changed from side to side. The sword [leeboard] was necessary so as not to drift sideways, as the drifter had only a slight draft. The drifter was crawl[carvel]-built with the top plank on clinker [overlapping]. It had front decks with roof [cabin trunk]⁴ and living space, side decks, and aft an open pond [well]⁵ for the fish. It was rigged with two masts, jib boom and drift boom, and the sail guidance [plan]⁶ was loose splitter [jib]⁷, stay jib [staysail], mainsail without boom, large topsail and loose mezzanine [mizzen]⁸.

Fejø åle drivkvaserne

De første åledrivkvaser byggede min bedstefar efter de samme skabeloner som hans 25 fods både, bortset fra at den underste planke var skåret af. Kvasen blev så forsynet med plankekøl, men i stedet for sværdet på tyskekvaserne havde den sænkekøl i en rille i plankekølen og havde lukket dam med damdæk og tragt. Den havde samme rigning og sejlføring som den tyske kvase, blot noget mindre, tilpasset efter kvasens størrelse. Bortset fra de to første kvaser, bedstefar byggede, var de gennemgående på 26 å 27 fod mellem stævnene, og han regnede selv den 27 fods kvase for den bedste

Fejø eel drifters

The first eel drifters were built by my grandfather according to the same templates as his 25-foot boats, except that the bottom plank was cut off. The drifter was then fitted with a plank keel, but instead of the sword [leeboard]¹ on the German drifters, it had a submersible keel [centerboard]² in a groove in the plank keel and [he] had closed the pond [well]³ with a pond deck [well deck]³ and funnel [trunk]⁴. It had the same rigging and sailing guidance [plan]⁵ as the German drifter, just somewhat smaller, adapted to the size of the drifter. Apart from the first two drifters that grandfather built, they were generally 26 to 27 feet between the conventions [stem and stern]⁶, and he even considered the 27-foot drifter to be the best

Denne kvasetype var langt lettere at arbejde med end den tyske kvase. Den var nemmere at hale op til ålevåddet, og i dårligt vejr arbejdede den ikke så hårdt i søen på grund af sin lettere konstruktion. I det hele taget var den mere tilpasset efter danske forhold end de fremmede kvaser og dem, der var bygget efter tysk model herhjemme. Det varede ikke længe før Fejø-kvasen helt fortrængte disse. De fleste driftige fiskere udskiftede deres gamle kvaser efterhånden og fik Fejø-kvaser i stedet, ja selv flere tyske fiskere af de i Danmark boende anskaffede sådanne. Bedstefar havde nu igennem mange år forudbestilling på sin kvase, især da ålekvasefiskeriet stadig udvidedes til andre egne af landet, f. eks. Isefjorden og Ringkøbing fjord, samt Hjerting bugt ved Esbjerg. Herover kom driftige fiskere fra Kolding, som resolut læssede deres kvaser på en godsvogn og lod dem fragte med jernbanen tværs over Jylland. Mange steder blev der solgt enkelte kvaser, så på den måde optrådte Fejø-kvasen overalt i Danmark, hvor der blev drevet åledriwadsfiskeri, dog med undtagelse af Limfjorden, hvor der gælder særlige bestemmelser for fartøjslængden.

This type of drifter was far easier to work with than the German drifter. It was easier to haul up to the eel net, and in bad weather it did not work as hard in the lake [sea] due to its lighter construction. On the whole, it was more adapted to Danish conditions than the foreign drifters and those built according to the German model in Denmark. It did not take long before the Fejø drifters completely displaced these. Most enterprising fishermen gradually replaced their old drifters and got Fejø drifters instead, and even more German fishermen, other than those living in Denmark, acquired such. Grandfather now had for many years pre-ordered his drifter, especially as the eel fishery was still expanded to other parts of the country, such as the Isefjord and Ringkøbing fjord, as well as Hjerting bay near Esbjerg. Above [all] came enterprising fishermen from Kolding, who resolutely loaded their drifters on a freight wagon and had them transported by rail across Jutland. In many places, individual drifters were sold, so in this way the Fejø drifters appeared everywhere in Denmark, where eel drift fishing was conducted, with the exception of the Limfjord, where special provisions apply to the vessel length.

Fra 1896 lå faconen så godt som fast, og der blev kun gjort små forandringer. Nogle byggedes lidt fyldigere i middelspantet og blev forsøgsvis gjort lidt bredere, alt efter fiskernes ønsker. Enkelte blev forsynet med jernsænkekøl, nogle med sværdkiste, men man gik snart over til kun at bruge træsænkekøl, da denne havde de fleste fordele. Jernsænkekølen led nemlig ofte havari, hvis den ramte en sten, idet den nemt blev bøjet, og så ikke var tii at få op, mens træsænkekølen havde den fordel, at når den ramte en sten, gled den op, hvorefter den igen faldt på plads, når stenen var passeret. Den virkede også ligefrem som en god lodhiver, idet den løftede sig, når den nåede bunden, således at den kunne varsko, når kvasen kom ind på grundt vande, inden den tog bunden. De første sænkekøle var en kvart cirkel på 4 fod 3 tommer i radius, men da det viste sig, at kvaserne ejlede bedre, når sænkekølen ikke var helt nede, gik man over til at lave sænkekølen 18 tommer under nævnte kvartcirkel.

From 1896 the shape was almost fixed and only small changes were made. Some were built a little fuller in the middle frame and were experimentally made a little wider, depending on the wishes of the fishermen. Some were provided with an iron sink keel [centerboard]¹, some with a sword chest [centerboard trunk]² [?]³, but they soon switched to using only a wooden centerboard, as this had the most advantages. The iron centerboard often suffered a breakdown if it hit a stone, as it was easily bent, and then was not easy to get up, while the wood centerboard, had the advantage that when it hit a stone, it slid up, after which it fell back into place, when the stone was passed. It also acted like a good weightlifter [leadsman]⁴, lifting when it reached the bottom, so that it could warn when the drifter entered shallow water before taking the bottom. The first centerboards were a quarter circle of 4 feet 3 inches in radius, but when it turned out that the drifters accelerated better when the centerboard was not completely down, they switched to making the centerboard 18 inches below the said quarter circle [not 90°? How is the 18″ measured: radially, vertically, aft?].

Det gik nu godt med bådebyggeriet på Fejø, og i disse år måtte bedstemor også tit give et nap med på værkstedet, når der var rigtig travlt, såvel ved opplankningen, som når klædningen skulle klinkes. Hun var sin mand en god hjælp, både på værkstedet og i hjemmet.

The boat building on Fejø was now going well, and in those years Grandma also often had to give a nap [take a turn]¹ at the workshop when it was really busy, both when planking and when the cladding [planking] had to be riveted. She was a great help to her husband, both in the workshop and at home.

Materialerne

Bedstefar kunne ikke lide, at pladsen helt skulle udgå for materialer. Derfor havde han altid noget egetræ i kævler liggende, samt lidt Kalmar-træ, en særlig god art fyrretræ, og ligeledes jern og søm. Når der så indgik bestilling på en ny kvase, blev der straks udregnet efter de foregående, hvad af materialer der skulle bruges, så der kunne blive bestilt egetræ i skoven til stævn, køl og spanter. Træet hjemkom i kævler og blev skåret og ophugget på pladsen. Det klædningstræ, der var af eg, blev enten købt i skoven, især ved Torrig og Sakskøbing, og skåret på savværk, eller også købt på et savværk i Sakskøbing i 7/8 tommes tykkelse. Kalmartræet blev leveret fra København i 1-1/4 tommes tykkelse og skåret ned til 7/8 tomme på et skæreri, sædvanligvis Snedkermestrenes Finérskæreri på eNørrebrogade i København. De norske søm og spigre samt galvaniserede stifter og rund jern blev ligesom klinkpladerne købt hos de vante leverandører i København. Fyrretræ til dæk, ruf, banjer og indretning leveredes af øens trælasthandler, købmand Holm i Østerby.

The Materials

Grandpa did not like the space to be completely devoid of materials. Therefore, he always had some oak in logs lying, as well as some Kalmar wood, a particularly good kind of pine, and also iron and nails. When an order was placed for a new drifter, it was immediately calculated according to the previous ones what materials were to be used, so that oak could be ordered in the forest for bow [stem and stern post]¹, keel and frames. The tree came home in logs and was cut and scrapped [split up]² on the site. The planking wood, which was made of oak, was either bought in the forest, especially at Torrig and Sakskøbing, and cut at a sawmill, or bought at a sawmill in Sakskøbing in 7/8-inch thickness. The Kalmar wood was delivered from Copenhagen in a thickness of 1-1/4 inches and cut down to 7/8 inches in a carving [planing mill]³, usually the Carpenters’ Veneer Carving on Nørrebrogade in Copenhagen. The Norwegian [clinch]⁴ nails and nails [spikes]⁴ as well as galvanized pins [round nails]⁴ and round iron [drift pins]⁵, like the planking boards, were bought from the usual suppliers in Copenhagen. Pine for decks, roofs [cabin trunk]⁶, banners [cabins]⁷ and furnishings was delivered by the island’s timber merchant, grocer Holm in Østerby.

At der blev skåret 3/8 tommes bræt fra barkkanten af Kalmar-træet til klædningen, skyldtes ønsket om at få så god en klædning som muligt og for at undgå, at der var vindridser (små revner og flækker, fremikommet ved tørring) i klædningen. De fraskårne brædder blev så enten solgt til snedkerne på øen eller brugt til små joller og pramme. Også det, der var skåret som spild på spanter og essing, kunne bruges til små både, hvorfor det var af betydning-, at der blev bygget sådanne joller og pramme ind imellem kvaserne, så træet helt kunne udnyttes. Når der var gode bestillinger, blev endda søm og spigre købt hjem i hele kister fra København. Beg blev bestilt i hele tønder, også i København. Beslag, masteringe, rakker til gaffel, rorbeslag, røstjern og ankre blev smedet i Bandholm eller hos øens egne smede. Bedstefar brugte oftest smed Chr. Nagel i den gamle bysmedje, som endnu står i Østerby.

The fact that a 3/8-inch board was cut from the bark edge of the Kalmar wood for the cladding was due to the desire to get as good a cladding [planking]¹ as possible and to avoid that there were wind scratches (small cracks and fissures, caused by drying)² in the planking. The cut boards were then either sold to the carpenters on the island or used for small dinghies and barges. Also, what was cut as waste on frames and essing [gunwale]³ could be used for small boats, which is why it was important that such dinghies and barges were built in between the drifters, so that the wood could be fully utilized. When there were good orders, even nails and nails [spikes]⁴ were bought at home in whole chests from Copenhagen. Beg [Pitch]⁵ was ordered in whole barrels, also in Copenhagen. Fittings, master rings [mast hoops]⁶, racks [parrels]⁷ for forks [gaffs]⁸, rudder fittings, cast iron [chain plates]⁹ and anchors were forged in Bandholm or at the island’s own blacksmiths. Grandfather most often used blacksmith Chr. Nail in the old town smithy, which still stands in Østerby.

Bygningen

Når nu køl, stævne og bjørne var blevet skåret og tildannet med økse og høvl, blev de rejst på nogle klodslag i værkstedet og støttet af op i loftsbjælkerne. Derefter blev der rejst 4 skabeloner, lavet af afskåret træ, mellem stævnene med en omtrent ens afstand imellem sig. Disse blev så stivet af indbyrdes og op i bjælkerne, og så var man klar til at begynde opklædningen. Denne bestod gerne af 11 range i hver side. På skabelonerne var indskrevet plankebredderne og hvor stor afstand klædningen skulle have fra skabelonerne. Målene var taget efter de foregående pæneste kvaser. Der var anført navnene på hvem de var bygget til, og stregerne var gerne indskrevet på såvel skabelonens for- og agterside, som i styrbords og bagbords side. Det gav i første omgang fire forskellige påskrifter, og hvis det kneb med tydeligheden, kunne der også bruges forskellige farver. På den måde kunne de samme skabeloner bruges til alle kvaserne, og fiskerne kunne få den kvase, de ville have. Bygningen efter skabeloner betød, at man uden at lave specielle konstruktionstegninger dog på en nem og sikker måde kunne opnå veldimensionerede fartøjer

The Building

Now that the keel, bow [stem and stern post]¹ and bears [deadwood]² had been cut and shaped with an ax and planer, they were raised on some bricks in the workshop and supported by up in the ceiling beams. Then 4 templates, made of cut wood, were erected between the stem and stern post with an approximately equal distance between them. These were then stiffened by each other and up into the beams, and then one was ready to begin the dressing [planking]³. This one consisted of 11 ranges [strakes]⁴ on each side. On the templates were inscribed the plank widths and how much distance the cladding should have from the templates. The measurements were taken after the nicest previous drifters. The names of who they were built for were listed, and the lines were often written on the front and back of the template, as well as on the starboard and port sides. It initially gave four different inscriptions, and if it struggled with clarity, different colors could also be used. That way, the same templates could be used for all the drifters, and the fishermen could get the drifter they wanted. The construction according to templates meant that without making special construction drawings, however, well-dimensioned vessels could be obtained in an easy and safe way.

Når så kvasen var klædt cirka halvvejs op, blev der i enderne gerne indsat en skabelon ekstra for lettere at se, hvor meget klædningen skulle falde for at få den fyldige og runde dæksplan. Der måtte også tages et vist hensyn til træet og dets facon under udtagelsen af klædningen, og det krævede stor erfaring at få et pænt plankeforløb og den rigtige facon på kvasen. Således var det af betydning, at der ved de krumme klædningsplanker agter blev taget hensyn til, at der blev skåret mest træ fra på plankens overkant, for at den bedre kunne blive så „rig” i overkanten, at den kunne strække sig mest muligt uden at springe. Her måtte derfor tit bruges eg, da det ville give for megen risiko og arbejde at bruge Kalmar-træ. Enkelte fiskere ville også gerne have den øverste og en enkelt planke forfra af eg. Forefter hvor plankerne ikke skulle strækkes så meget, skulle der skæres ud midt i planken, eller der skulle skæres mest af i plankens underkant, for at den ikke skulle komme til at falde for meget

When the drifter was dressed [planked]¹ about halfway up, an extra template was inserted at the ends to make it easier to see how much the planking had to fall [change position]² to get the full and round deck plan. Some consideration had to be given to the wood and its shape during the removal [selection]³ of the planking, and it required a great deal of experience to get a nice plank course [progression]⁴ and the right shape of the drifter. Thus, it was important that the curved planks aft took into account that most wood was cut from the upper edge of the plank, so that it could better be so “rich” in the upper edge that it could stretch as much as possible without to jump [breaking]⁵. Here, therefore, oak often had to be used, as it would be too much risk and work to use Kalmar wood. Some fishermen would also like to have the top and a single plank from the front [made] of oak. After, where the planks should not be stretched so much, [it should be] cut out in the middle of the plank, or cut off most of the bottom edge of the plank, so that it does not fall [change position(shape?)]² too much

Ellers foregik selve måltagningen af klædningsplankerne med et tyndt bræt, ca. 3/8 tomme, kaldet en ri, lig klædningsplankens facon. Der blev gerne brugt en 4 forskellige rier. Rien blev nu bøjet til i den ønskede facon uden om den planke, som var påsat kvasen, og der blev så med kridt slået en streg langs plankens overkant på rien og ved skabelonen og i „halsen” (plankens ende mod stævnen) skrevet plankens bredde. Rien blev så lagt på den nye klædningsplanke, og faconen overført efter kridtstregen på planken. Denne blev så skåret til og høvlet og skulle nu være klar til at komme i svedekisten, hvor den blev opvarmet i damp i ca. 45 minutter.

Otherwise, the actual measurement of the cladding [hull] planks took place with a thin board, approx. 3/8 inch, called a ‘ri’ [spiling batten]¹, similar to the shape of the cladding plank. Four different battens were used. The battens were bent in the desired shape around the plank, which was attached to the drifter, and a line was then drawn with chalk along the upper edge of the plank on the batten and at the template and in the “neck” (the ends of the plank towards the bow [stem and stern post]²) written the width of the plank. The batten was then laid on the new cladding plank, and the shape transferred after [matching] the chalk line on the plank. This was then cut and planed and should now be ready to enter the sweat chest [steam box], where it was heated in steam for approx. 45 minutes.

Svedekisten var en lang kasse af træ, hvor plankerne lå til dampning på nogle jernbolte, ca. en tredjedel oppe i kisten. I bunden var der kun koldt vand, idet dampen fortættedes og blev til vand. Dette løb ud af kassen forneden.

The sweat [steam] chest was a long box of wood, where the planks lay for steaming on some iron bolts, approx. a third up in the coffin. At the bottom there was only cold water, as the steam condensed and became water. This ran out of the box at the bottom.

Når planken nu var passende „svedet” (dampet), blev den udtaget og kunne nu bøjes i den ønskede facon ved hjælp af klamper og kiler i halsen ved stævnen og hen langs den undersiddende planke med klemmer og kiler af træ. Flere steder understøttedes den af stokke og, hvor den skulle falde mest, med nogle særlige gafler af træ, der kunne sættes ned over planken og vride den i den ønskede facon. Klædningen overlappedes med ca. i 1-3/8 tomme (over landingen eller over lægget), og når planken var tildannet og aflandet med den undersiddende planke, blev der indsat klinker med en passende afstand på ca. 5-1/2 tomme. I halsene ved stævnene indsattes der spigre. Ved stødene (samlingen af klædningen) blev der udvendig påsat lister på ca. 30 tommers længde for at jævne disse. Når så kvasen var opklædt, blev der sat nogle støtter under plankelandene, og enkelte søm blev også sat ind i skabelonen. Det var almindelig regel, at der blev trakteret med „løftede” pandekager (gærpande-kager lavet af æbleskivedejg), nåroppiankningen var foretaget, da det jo var en vigtig del af arbejdet, der nu var gjort færdig

When the plank was now suitably “sweated” (steamed), it was removed and could now be bent in the desired shape by means of clamps and wedges in the necks [rabbets?] at the bow [stem and stern post]¹ and along the subordinate plank with clamps and wedges of wood. In several places it was supported by sticks and, where it should fall [change position]² most, with some special wooden forks³ which could be lowered over the plank and twisted into the desired shape. The cladding [planking]⁴ was overlapped by about 1-3/8 inch (over the landing or over the “lægget“), and when the plank was formed and landed with the subordinate plank, clinkers [clinch nails]⁵ were inserted with a suitable distance of about 5-1/2 inches. Nails were inserted in the necks [rabbets?] of the stem and stern post. At the shocks [butts]⁶ (the assembly of the planking), strips [butt blocks (see image)] of approx. 30 inches long to smooth these [note: the butt blocks on Viktoria are far less than 30″, but I don’t think I’ve mistaken the meaning]. Once the drifter was planked, some supports were put under the plank lands, and some nails were also put into the template. It was common practice to treat with “lifted” pancakes (yeast pancakes made from apple slice dough), [when] the fastening had been done, as it was an important part of the work that had now been completed

Nu kunne der tages mål af spanterne. Dette blev gjort med en vrangbue (en af små led sammenklinket stok, hvor hvert andet led var et enkelt stykke og hver andet et dobbelt; leddenes længde var ca. 4 tommer). Vrangbuen blev banket til efter klædningen, dér hvor spantet skulle ligge, og bagefter blev den lagt på det stykke spantetræ, der havde faconen, for at det kunne blive grovskåret og tilhugget med økse. Det spantetræ, som skulle bruges om dagen, blev almindeligvis skåret og hugget om aftenen, da dette arbejde ikke krævede så meget lys som var nødvendigt for at se at stikke spantet til. Belysningen i værkstedet var to-tre petroleumslamper. Herefter blev spantet befæstet til klædningen med nogle søm og lagt på denne, hvor det skulle bruges, for dér at blive stukket til med to stik i hver plankeland med et dertil brugt redskab, kaldet høgenæb (eller abekat), forsynet med lodsnor og lod. Den facon, der nu fremkom, blev skåret til med en sav af to mand, en på hver side af spantet, for at de kunne se stregen. Spantestykket blev fastgjort i en spændeanordning, almindeligvis i en filebænk

Now measurements could be taken of the frames. This was done with a arch [flexible mold]¹ (one of small joints [segments]² riveted together, where each other segment was a single piece and every other a double [the segments alternated between single and double links at each joint]³; the length of the segments was about 4 inches). The mold was knocked down after [onto] the cladding [planking]⁴, where the frame should lie, and afterwards it was laid on the [a] piece of frame wood that had the shape [of the frame] so that it could be roughly cut and chopped [hewn] with an ax. The frame wood that was to be used during the day was usually cut and chopped in the evening, as this work did not require as much light as was necessary to see to stick [engrave]⁵ the frame to . The lighting in the workshop was two or three kerosene lamps. The frame was then fastened to the planking with some nails and placed on it where it was to be used, to be inserted [engraved]⁵ there with two connectors [marks] in each plank land with a tool used for this purpose, called a hawk’s beak (or monkey), provided with a pilot [plumb] line and weight. The shape that now emerged was cut with a saw by two men, one on each side of the frame, so that they could see the line. The frame piece was fixed in a clamping device, usually in a file [work] bench

Når spanter, bundstokke og damskotter var spigret til klædningen, kunne skabelonerne udtages, og man kunne så lægge damdæk og essing, knæ og dæksbjælken Essingen er en gennemgående forstærkning hele klædningen rundt på indersiden, dækkende spanteenderne og forboltet i disse. Så blev skotterne indsat og lukafet i forskibet indrettet, hvorpå der blev lagt dæk af 1-1/4 tomme fyrreplanker. I de første kvaser var dækket af høvlet og pløjet træ, senere, da kvaserne blev lidt dyrere, af gennemskårede 1-1/4 x 7 tomme planker. Derefter blev der over lukafet anbragt et forruf med skydekappe. På dækket sattes egekarme om det åbne rum midtskibs og om styrehullet agter. Efter dette blev opståendet lavet (nærmest lig et finkenet), ved enderne mod stævnene af eg, men over midten af én tomme fyrrebræt, 3-1/2 tomme høj. Opståendet blev boltet i essingen med „stubbolte”, i dette tilfælde 3/8 tomme rundjern på 5-1/2 tomme længde, tilspidset i nederste ende, og der blev udskåret spygatter i opstaendets underkant mod essingen. Oven på opståendet blev lagt en lille lønning af eg, og på øverste klædningsplankes udvendige overkant en halvrund fenderliste af eg („randjord”), 1-3/4 x 3/4 tomme. Ind imellem var der lavet sænkekøl („sværd”), ror og mastekiste, og dermed var alt træarbejdet på kvasen færdigt.

When frames, bottom beams [floors]¹ and pond [well]² bulkheads were nailed to the cladding [planking]³, the templates could be removed, and you could then lay pond [well]² decks and ashes [gunwales]⁴, knees and deck beam. A gunwale is a continuous reinforcement [of] all the planking around the inside, covering the frame ends and bolted in [to] these. Then the Scots [bulkheads]⁵ were inserted and the hatch in the foreship arranged, on which a deck of 1-1/4 inch pine planks were laid. In the first [beginning] drifters were covered with planed and plowed wood [tongue and groove planks]⁶, later, when the drifters became a little more expensive, of cut through 1-1/4 x 7 inch planks. Then a windshield [forward cabin trunk]⁷ with sliding cover was placed over the hatch. On the deck, oak frames were placed around the open space amidships and around the steering hole [cockpit]⁸ aft. After this the rise [toe rail]⁹ was made (almost like a fine net [waist netting]¹⁰), at the ends towards the stems [it was made] of oak, but over the middle of one inch pine board, 3-1/2 inch high. The toe rail was bolted into the gunwale with “stub bolts”, in this case 3/8 inch round iron of 5-1/2 inch length, tapered at the lower end, and spitting holes [scuppers]¹¹ were cut in the lower edge of the toe rail against the gunwale. On top of the toe rail was placed a small maple of oak [cap rail]¹², and on the outer upper edge of the upper planking board a semicircular fender strip of oak (“edge soil [rub rail]¹⁴“), 1-3/4 x 3/4 inch. Occasionally [Here and there]¹⁵ there was a lowering keel (“sword [centerboard]¹⁶“), rudder and mast coffin [tabernacle]¹⁷, and thus all the woodwork on the drifter was finished.

Arrangementet af kvasen var følgende: fra forstævnen i styrbords side forefter i opståendet et lille åbent klys til ankeret; på dækket foran for ruffet en bedding til fortøjning og til beslag for det løse spryd; beddingen stod 4-1/2 tomme til bagbord. Forruffet var ligeledes forskubbet 3 tommer til bagbord for at give så meget mere dæksplads i styrbords side for bedre at få plads til ålevåddet. Mellem forruf og karm om det åbne rum midtskibs var anbragt en mastekiste i en egetræs fisk i dækket; mastekisten hvilede på en dæksbjælke og på forkanten af damskottet. Agten for det åbne rum var agterdæk med styrehul; foran for styrehullet var mesanmasten anbragt, og i bagbords side drivbommen og beslag til denne. Drivbommen var løs og havde en skrå stilling, så dens agterste ende ragede ind over kvasens centerlinie.

The arrangement of the drifter was as follows: from the bow on the starboard side forward [on the port bow,]¹ in the rise [toe rail,]² a small open cleat [fairlead]³ to [for] the anchor [line]; on the deck in front of the ruff [cabin trunk]⁷ a berth [bitt]⁸ for mooring and for fittings for the loose⁹ spruce [sprit]⁹; the bitt stood 4-1/2 inches to port. The forearm [cabin trunk]⁷ was also shifted 3 inches to port to provide so [that] much more deck space on the starboard side to better accommodate the eel wet [net]. Between the cabin trunk and the frame about the open space amidships was placed a mast coffin [tabernacle]¹⁰ in an oak fish [partner]¹¹ in the deck; the tabernacle rested on a deck beam and on the front edge of the dam [well]¹² bulkhead. Aft of the open space was the aft deck with a guide hole [cockpit]¹³; in front of the cockpit was the mezzanine [mizzen ]¹⁴ mast, and on the port side the drift boom and fittings for this. The drift boom was loose and had an oblique position so that its aft end protruded over [beyond] the center line of the drifter.

Lukafets indretning bestod af et lukket rum helt ude forefter; op mod dette under fordækket var en tværskibskøje, under dækket i styrbords side en lukket køje. Køjerne var enkeltkøjer, da besætningen kun bestod af to mand. I bagbords side stod to faste skabe til proviant og tøj. Mod skabe og køje fandtes en åben bænk i hver side. Mellem bænkene på forskottet under køjen var et med slingrekant forsynet klapbord, der var befæstet til skottet med et par hængsler. Under dækket mellem dam og ruf fandtes en lille forhøjning til kogeanordning: grydekabys eller petroleumsapparat. Dørken lå tværskibs. Toiletforholdene var ordnet såre simpelt, idet man benyttede trekanten mellem drivbom og skibssiden, hvor man kunne sidde sikkert.

The interior of the hatch [cabin]¹ consisted of an enclosed space completely out front [furthest forward]; up against this under the foredeck was a transverse berth, below the deck on the starboard side a closed berth. The bunks were single berths as the crew consisted of only two men. In the port side stood two fixed cupboards for provisions and clothes. Against cupboards and bunk there was an open bench on each side. Between the benches on the bulkhead below the berth was a folding table with a slinging edge [fiddles]², which was fastened to the bulkhead with a pair of hinges. Under the deck between the pond [well]³ and the ruff [cabin trunk]⁴ there was a small elevation for the cooking device: a pot cabin [cuddy (galley) stove]⁵ or a petroleum appliance. The floor was transverse. The toilet conditions were arranged very simply, using the triangle between the drive boom and the ship’s side, where you could sit safely.

Midtskibs i det åbne rum var først dammen. De to forreste rum var sværddammen, hvori sænkekølen var anbragt og støttet af en ekstra forstærkning på kølen; det agterste rum var til ålene. På damdækket i styrbords side var der en løs afskotning for ål og „møg” (tang, mudder o.lign.), for at ikke dette skulle spredes over hele banjen. På agterkanten af damtragten var en træpumpe, hvormed man kunne pumpe det vand, der kom i kvasen, over i dammen, især under fiskeriet, når våddets indhold blev styrtet på damdækket. Agten for dammen var der tværskibsbanjer; mellem styrehul og rummet midtskibs var et skot. I styrehullet var en tværskibsbanje, og lidt nede fra dækket en lille bænk i hver side.

Midships, in the open space, was first the pond [well]¹. The two front compartments were the sword pond [centerboard well]², in which the lowering keel [centerboard]³ was placed and supported by an additional reinforcement on the keel; the aft room was for the eels. On the well deck on the starboard side, there was a loose bulkhead for eels and “dung” (seaweed, mud, etc.), so that this would not spread over the entire course [lower deck]⁴. On the stern edge of the pond funnel [well hatchway]⁵ was a wooden pump with which one could pump into the well the water that came into the drifter, especially during fishing when the contents of the net were plunged onto the well deck. Aft of the well there were transept ships [transversely planked deck panels]⁶; between the wheelhouse [cockpit]⁷ and the space amidships was a bulkhead. In the cockpit was a transversely planked deck panel, and a little down from the deck a small bench on each side.

Efter at træarbejdet var færdigt, blev vandlinien afsat, dels efter erfaringen, dels efter de tidligere byggede kvaser. På for- og agterstævnen blev der anbragt et bræt tværskibs og vandret, hvorpå der blev trukket en snor langskibs. Denne snor blev så langs brættets overkant trukket ind mod klædningen, og for at støtte snoren blev der indsat små stifter, hvor den nåede klædningen. Efter disse mærker blev så vandlinien revet ind i klædningen med en lille krappasser (passer, hvis ene ben har en riveanordning). Efter dette var kvasen færdig, så den kunne gøres løs for afstivningen, der holdt den i byggestillingen, og stævnen kunne rettes af i overkanten.

After the woodwork was completed, the waterline was set aside, partly according to experience, partly according to the previously built drifters. A horizontal board was placed transversely at the bow and stern [stem and stern post]¹, on which a longitudinal string was pulled. This cord was then pulled in along the upper edge of the board towards the cladding [planking]², and to support the cord, small pins were inserted where it reached the planking. After these marks, the waterline was then torn [scribed] into the cladding with a small scraper (fits [dividers,]³ if one leg has a tear device [scribing point]). After this, the drifter was finished so that it could be loosened from the bracing that held it in the construction position, and the stem and stern posts could be straightened [cut to their final shape] at the top edge.

Kvasen blev nu lagt over på siden, så den kunne blive kalfatret („kalfagtet”) i landene og langs køl og stævne. Hertil blev gerne brugt lysgarn eller bomuldstråd. Efter at dette var indlagt, blev nåden beget med trætjærebeg. Herefter påsattes der beslag: „timejern” (i timeglasform) ved stævn og køl, rorsbeslag og røstjern.

The drifter was now placed on its side so that it could be caulked (“caulked”) in the fields [laps] and along the keel and bow. Light yarn or cotton thread was often used for this purpose. After this was inlaid, the grace [seams]¹ were stained with wood tar pitch. Fittings were then added: “hourglass” (in hourglass form) at the bow and keel [between the keel and stem and stern post]², rudder fittings and cast iron [chain plates]³.

Nu fik kvasen kultjære i bunden og blev malet. Som. grundfarve udvendig brugtes schweinfurtergrønt. På dækket blev der gerne ferniseret; fernissen var iblandet noget engelskrødt. Udvendig over vandet var kvasen gerne malet grøn med hvidt opstående; indvendig på opstående og essing var den grøn. Ruffet var hvidt med grønt ruftag og grøn kappe. De kvaser, der ikke var grønmalede udvendig, var gerne grå, og nogle, særlig de på Askø og Lilleø, havde brune ruftage og kapper, og deres dæk var også tit malet brunt.

Now the drifter got coal tar at the bottom and was painted. Schweinfurt green was used as the base color on the outside. The deck was happily [usually]¹ varnished; the varnish was mixed with some English red. Outside, over the water, the drifter was like painted green with white rising [toe rail]²; inside on toe rail and essing [gunwale]³ it was green.
The ruff [cabin trunk]⁴ was white with a green roof and a green cloak [hatch]⁵.
The drifters that were not painted green on the outside were often gray, and some, especially those on Askø and Lilleø, had brown roofs and coats [hatches]⁵, and their decks were also often painted brown.

Sejl og master

Sejlene blev gerne bestilt hos sejlmager F. N. Halmøe i Nykøbing Falster, hvis fiskerne ikke havde andre ønsker, men de overlod det i reglen til bedstefar at bestille sejlene, og han foretrak Halmøe. De enedes gerne om størrelse og kvalitet. Den største forskel var, om kvasen skulle have spidst eller firkantet topsejl. Bedstefar satte Halmøe meget højt som sejlmager, og de af ham syede sejl stod også gennemgående altid godt. Efter at der var sejlet lidt med de nye sejl, blev de gerne imprægnerede med en blanding af hestefedt,okker, blanktjære og vand, som i varm tilstand blev påsmurt sejlene.

Sails and masts

The sails were gladly [generally]¹ ordered from sailmaker F. N. Halmøe in Nykøbing Falster, if the fishermen had no other wishes, but they usually left it to grandfather to order the sails, and he preferred Halmøe. They usually agreed on size and quality. The biggest difference was whether the drifter should have pointed or square topsails. Grandfather set Halmøe very high as a sailmaker, and the sails sewn by him also always stood well. After sailing a bit with the new sails, they were often impregnated with a mixture of horse grease, ocher, shiny [coal]² tar and water, which in hot conditions was smeared on the sails.

Nu blev masterne og rundholterne lavet. Masten var gerne af en fyrrebjælke, 16 alen lang og 6X 6 tommer tyk, så man kunne få så stiv en mast som muligt. De andre rundholter, spryd, driv bom, topsejlsrå, gafler, bom og mesanmast, blev i reglen tilvirket af runde graner. Rigningen var to spænd vant og stag, begge af snoet jerntråd. I styrbords side var der et såkaldt „skidttakkel” til at Løfte våddet ind med. Det løbende tovværk var af hamp eller manila. Vantet var forbundet til røstjernene med sytove, og staget gik gerne gennem et hul i stævnen ind på beddingen eller var sjæklet til et stævnjern.

Now the masts and round timbers [spars]¹ were made. The mast was preferably of a forty [pine]² beam, 33 feet long and 6 x 6 inches thick, so you could get as stiff a mast as possible. The other spars, spruce [sprit]³, drift boom, topsail raw [yard]⁴, forks [gaffs]⁵, boom and mezzanine [mizzen]⁶ mast, were usually made of round spruces. The rigging was two spans wont [shrouds]⁷ and a stag [stay]⁸, both of twisted iron wire. On the starboard side there was a so-called “dirt tackle⁹” to lift the net in with. The running rope was of hemp or manila. The shroud was connected to the voice stars [chain plates]¹⁰ with sewing ropes [lanyards]¹¹, and the stay often went through a hole in the bow into the bedding [bitt]¹³ or was shackled to a bow iron¹⁶.

Klædedragten

Min bedstefar gik almindeligvis klædt med sorte lædertræsko, blå molskindsbenklæder, hvid hørlærredsskjorte med halslinning og halvt opsmøgede skjorteærmer, så uldtrøjen stak lidt neden for skjorten, blå Holmens vest og kasket med sort læderskygge og blanke knapper til hageremmen, den såkaldte „Nykøbingkasket”. Hans undertøj var en lang, langærmet uldtrøje og lange underbenklæder, hjemmestrikkede med to masker vrang og to masker ret. Om sommeren havde han sokker og om vinteren lange strømper, der gik op over knæet. De var enten sorte eller grå. Forklæde brugtes aldrig

Normal Dress¹

My grandfather usually wore black leather clogs, blue mole leather trousers, white linen canvas shirt with neckline and half-rolled-up shirt sleeves, so that the wool sweater protruded slightly below the shirt, blue Holmen’s vest and cap with black leather shade and shiny buttons for the chin strap, the so-called “Nykøbing cap”. His underwear was a long, long-sleeved wool sweater and long underpants, home-knitted with two stitches purl and two stitches straight. In the summer he wore socks and in the winter long socks that went up above the knee. They were either black or gray. Apron was never used

Når han var i det fine tøj, var det blåt Holmens klæde: lange benklæder uden opslag, toradet, lang jakke, vest, stor, stiv, hvid flip med sløjfe under snipperne, kravebryst og på hovedet en kasket. På fødderne havde han sorte sko eller fedtlæderstøvler. I vestelommen sad uret, befæstet til en tynd dobbeltguldkæde, med medaillon, hvori et fotografi af bedstemor og en lok af hendes hår.

When he was in the fine clothes, it was blue Holmen’s cloth: long trousers without openings, two-row¹, long jacket, vest, large, stiff, white flip [lapel]² with bow under the snippets [points]³, collar breast [tuxedo front]⁴ and on his head a cap. On his feet he wore black shoes or fat leather boots. In the vest pocket sat the watch, fastened to a thin double gold chain, with a medallion in which a photograph of grandmother and a lock of her hair.

Søsætningen

Når kvasen var ved at være færdig, kom de fiskere, der havde bestilt dem. De, der kom langvejs fra, havde ofte indsyet de penge, de skulle betale for kvasen, i deres uldtrøje, og de var ivrige efter at komme af med de mange penge, såsnart de var ankommet. De skulle gerne bo hos bedstefar, til kvasen var færdig, og da de sjældent havde betalt ret meget eller i det hele taget nogetsomhelst på den i forvejen, beløb summen sig gerne til en 600 å 700 kroner. Bedstefar sendte ikke gerne bud efter dem, før han var sikker på at have kvasen færdig. Ellers gik de gerne og fandt på så mange forskellige småting, de skulle have lavet ved samme lejlighed.

The Launch

When the drifter was about to be finished, the fishermen who had ordered them arrived. Those who came from far away had often sewn the money they had to pay for the drifter into their woolen sweater, and they were eager to get rid of the large amount of money as soon as they arrived. They wanted to live with grandfather until the drifter was finished, and since they had seldom paid quite a lot or anything at all in advance, the sum often amounted to 600 to 700 kroner. Grandpa did not like to send bids [announcements]¹ for them until he was sure he had the drifter finished. Otherwise, they gladly [usually]¹ went and came up with so many different little things they should have done on the same occasion [would do differently].

Endelig var alt klart til søsætningen af kvasen. De stedlige fiskere og de af øens beboere, der var interesserede i skibe, vidste det altid nogle dage i forvejen.

Finally, everything was ready for the launch of the drifter. The local fishermen and those of the island’s residents who were interested in ships always knew this a few days in advance.

Kvasen blev slæbt fra værkstedet over engen hen til det nordre bolværk i havnen, hvorfra den skulle søsættes uden sliske ud over bolværket. Hele søsætningen tog ca. 2-3 timer. Når kvasen var kommet ud af værkstedet, blev der først lagt en bom hen tværs over den, og den blev surret til røstjernene. Et par mand støttede kvasen, for at den ikke skulle vælte. Bommen ragede kun ud til den ene side, da man derved bedre havde på fornemmelsen, om kvasen holdt balancen. Til at trække kvasen blev der brugt en firskåret talje og i forhånd noget kæde, så taljen, når den var halet til bloks, kunne „forfares” (kortes ind). Kvasen blev trukket på kølen, og der blev som strøer brugt „udskør”, dvs. de fladrunde træstykker, som var blevet skåret fra på siderne af de kævler, der var skåret op til spantetræ. De blev smurt med grøn sæbe („fedtlapper”), og strøerne blev lagt med en afstand af ca. 3 alen og blev „forfaret”, efterhånden som de blev fri agter, for igen at kunne blive transporterede frem. Der skulle gerne være en 12-14 strøer at skifte med.

The drifter was towed from the workshop across the meadow to the northern bulwark in the harbor, from where it was to be launched without chutes [skids]¹ beyond the bulwark. The whole launch took approx. 2-3 hours. When the drifter had come out of the workshop, a boom was first laid across it and it was tied to the vocal cords [chain plates]². A couple of men supported the drifter so that it would not tip over. The boom only protruded to one side, as it had a better sense of whether the drifter kept its balance. A four-cut hoist⁶ and some chain were used to pull the drifter, so that the hoist, when it had been hauled to the block, could be “pre-cut [overhauled]⁸” (shortened). The drifter was pulled on the keel, and “carvings” were used as joists, i.e., the flat round [half-round] pieces of wood that had been cut from the sides of the logs that had been cut up into frame wood. They were smeared with green soap (“grease patches”), and the straws [joists]¹¹ were laid at a distance of about 6 feet and were “processed [overhauled]⁸” as they became free aft, in order to be transported forward again. There should be 12-14 joists to switch with.

Når nu kvasen var kommet hen til slæbestedet, blev der ved kølen anbragt et par klamper, så kvasen ikke skulle kunne skride sidelæns. Bommen tværs over blev aftaget og mandskabet ligeligt fordelt på begge sider af kvasen. For en sikkerheds skyld blev der på brohammeren i hver side lagt en sæk med høvlspåner. Alt blev så gjort klart til afløbet, og tampen af løberen blev gjort fast i løjbommen agter for at kunne stoppe kvasen i farten. Hvis der var børn, fik de lov at være oppe i kvasen under søsætningen. Der blev nu varskoet fra bedstefar, der selvfølgelig havde ledelsen af søsætningen, at alt var klart, og med et rask tag og skub sattes kvasen i bevægelse for så at glide ud i sit rette element. Undertiden blev der råbt hurra, når båden tog søen, hvad der skete under en kaskade af vand. De tilstedeværende ønskede ejeren til lykke med sit nye skib.

Now that the drifter had arrived at the tow place [slipway]¹, a couple of clamps were placed by the keel so that the drifter would not be able to slide sideways. The boom across was lowered and the crew evenly distributed on both sides of the drifter. As a precaution, a sack of shavings was placed on each side of the bridge hammer². Everything was then made ready for the drain [launching]³, and the butt [end]⁴ of the runner [fall]⁵ was fastened to the lie boom [horse]⁶ aft to be able to stop the drifter in motion. If there were children, they were allowed to be up in the drifter during the launch. There was now a warning from grandfather, who of course had the leadership of the launch, that everything was clear, and with a brisk grip and push, the drifter was set in motion and then slipped into its proper element. Sometimes cheers were shouted as the boat took to the water, which happened with a cascade of water. Those present wished the owner good luck with his new ship.

Kvasen var ikke udsmykket, hverken med flag eller grønt. Nogen direkte skibsdab eller navngivning af den foretoges heller ikke. Havde båden i forvejen fået bestemt sit navn, var dette enten malet på, eller et navnebræt var påsat. Der var ingen hemmeligholdelse af navnet i forvejen, som man træffer det ved dåben af større skibe. En del kvaser fik forøvrigt aldrig deres navn påmalet, men et navn skulle de i hvert fald have, når de blev indregistrerede hos toldvæsnet. Før fiskeriloven af 1888 blev bådene sjældent indregistrerede og fik heller ikke altid navne.

The drifter was not adorned, neither with flag nor greenery. No direct shipwreck [christening]¹ or naming of it was done either. Had the boat [name] been determined in advance, this was either painted on or a nameplate was affixed. There was no secrecy of the name in advance, as one takes it at [with] the baptism of larger ships. By the way, a number of drifters never got their name painted on, but they should at least have a name when they were registered with the customs. Before the Fisheries Act of 1888, the boats were rarely registered and were not always given names.

Udvælgelsen af navnet skete på forskellig måde. De fleste kvaser blev opkaldt efter ejerens kone eller datter (f. eks. „Rigmor”, „Anna”, „Marie”, „Inger”), eller navnet stod i forbindelse med fiskeriet („Aalen”, „Laxen”, „Silden”). Bådens sejlerdygtighed fremkaldte navne som f. eks. „Maagen”, „Svalen”, „Svanen”. Man kunne også tage navnet efter større skibe eller efter orlogsskibe, man havde aftjent sin værnepligt på („Viking”, „Tordenskjold”, „Heimdal”). En af kvaserne, „Chr. Nielsen” (1907), blev forøvrigt opkaldt efter bedstefar

The selection of the name took place in different ways. Most drifters were named after the owner’s wife or daughter (e.g., “Rigmor”, “Anna”, “Marie”, “Inger”), or the name was associated with fishing (“Eels”, “Salmon”, “Herring”). The boat’s sailing ability evoked names such as “Stomach[Gull]¹“, “Swallow”, “Swan”. You could also take the name after larger ships or after warships on which you had served your military service (“Viking”, “Tordenskjold”, “Heimdal”). One of the drifters, “Chr. Nielsen “(1907), was named after grandfather.

Når kvaserne blev solgt, blev de ofte omdøbt. Dog var der nogen overtro med omdøbningen, så mange var bange for at give dem nyt navn. De gamle ejere ønskede ofte, at deres kones navn ikke skulle bæres længere, når de havde solgt kvaserne, hvorfor de forlangte dem omdøbt, og i reglen fik de da den nye ejers hustrus navn.

When the drifters were sold, they were often renamed. However, there was some superstition with the renaming, so many were afraid to give them a new name. The old owners often wanted their wife’s name not to be worn anymore after they had sold the drifters, so they demanded that they be renamed, and as a rule, they then got the name of the new owner’s wife.

Løbegildet

Efter søsætningen var der gerne hyggeligt løbegilde i værkstedet. Heri deltog alle hjælperne. Det var aldrig svært at skaffe mandskab til søsætningen. Der var gerne brug for 10-12 mand, men i reglen meldte sig det dobbelte antal. Det var gratis arbejdskraft, men de belønnedes med at blive indbudt til gildet.

The launching banquet

After the launch, there was a nice running party [launching banquet]¹ in the workshop. All the helpers took part. It was never difficult to get crew for the launch. There was a need for 10-12 men, but as a rule the double number showed up. It was free labor, but they were rewarded with being invited to the feast.

I værkstedet blev gulvet fejet, når kvasen var kommet ud, og der opstilledes borde og bænke. Bordet var gerne nogle planker på et par bukke, og bænkene var stilladsplanker på nogle sømkister.

Til gildet blev der serveret kaffe, æbleskiver og den traditionelle „Fejø-punch”. Det kan måske more læserne at få opskriften på denne punch:

• 2 potter rom å 75 øre,
• 1 A flaske rødvin å 58 øre,
• 2 pund sukker å 20 øre,
• hel kanel for 10 øre,
• lige dele vand og rom.

Udgifterne til punchen beløb sig til 3 kr., hvilket svarede til en dagløn,
som priserne var ved århundredskiftet

In the workshop, the floor was swept when the drifter had come out, and tables and benches were set up. The table was like some planks on a few bucks, and the benches were scaffolding planks on some nail chests.

For the party, coffee, “æbleskiver¹” and the traditional “Fejø punch” were served. It may amuse readers to get the recipe for this punch:

• 2 pots room to 75 øre,
• 1 A bottle of red wine to 58 øre,
• 2 pounds of sugar to 20 cents,
• whole cinnamon for 10 øre,
• equal parts water and rum.

The expenses for the punch amounted to 3 kroner, which corresponded to a day’s wages, as prices were at the turn of the century.

Stemningen under gildet var høj, og man fortalte erindringer og snakkede „skiv”. Der blev drøftet mange forskellige emner. Mange mente, at skibe både havde følelse og synsevne, og man havde da også gode hensigter med sit skib; man kaldte det som nævnt gerne op efter sine kære for at bevise både dem og skibet en hæder. Man ville da også gerne være god ved sit skib, give det godt tovværk gode sejl og holde det pænt med maling. Det betød noget at stå sig godt med sit skib. Blandt de fleste gamle fiskere var der en fast overbevisning om, at skibet kunne se, og mange ville hellere købe en brugt kvase, der havde udvist gode fiskeegenskaber, fremfor en ny, da de mente, at fiskeresultaterne lige så vel kunne stamme fra fartøjet som fra fiskerens dygtighed. Det havde mange gange vist sig, at to kvaser kunne ligge og fiske ved siden af hinanden, og den ene fik mange ål og kun lidt „møg” (mudder, tang o.lign.), mens den anden fik meget „møg”, men ingen ål. Mange gange, når de skulle hale efter enclt driv, kunne både ålevåd og liner være snoede, så det hele lignede et stort halstørklæde, der var vredet rundt. Ligeledes viste det sig tit, at når et sådant forsømt fartøj skiftede ejer og kom til en, der lod det male og gav det nyt tovværk og nye sejl, kunne det forbedre sig og blive en god ven og komme til at sejle og fiske som andre kvaser. Det var da et sikkert bevis på skibets evne til at leve med. På grund af denne overtro var det let for de driftige fiskere at sælge deres gamle kvaser og få dem skiftet ud rned nye. Men det var rigtignok ikke altid, at kvasens gode ry svarede til forventningerne, når den skiftede ejer.

The mood during the feast was high, and people recounted memories and talked “disc [ship]¹” . Many different topics were discussed. Many believed that ships had both emotion and vision, and they had good intentions with their ship; as mentioned it was gladly [usually]² named after his loved ones to [honor] prove both them and the ship an honor. You also want to be good at your [to] ship, give it good rope and good sails and keep it neat with paint. It meant something to do well with his ship. Among most old fishermen, there was a firm belief that the ship could see, and many would rather buy a used drifter that had exhibited good fishing qualities, rather than a new one, as they believed that the fishing results could just as well have come from the vessel as from the skill of the fisherman. It had turned out many times that two drifters could lie and fish next to each other, and one got a lot of eels and only a little “dung” (mud, seaweed, etc.), while the other got a lot of “dung”, but no eel. Many times, when they had to haul after a single drive, both eel net and liner [lines] could be twisted, so it all looked like a large scarf twisted around. Likewise, it often turned out that when such a neglected vessel changed owner and came to someone who had it painted and gave it new ropes and new sails, it could improve and become a good friend and get to sail and fish like others drifter[s]. It was then a sure proof of the ship’s ability to live with [accept]³. Because of this superstition, it was easy for the enterprising fishermen to sell their old drifters and have them replaced with new ones. But it was certainly not always that the good reputation of the drifter met expectations when it changed owner.

Ligeledes var det af stor betydning, mente man, at der var penge i skibet, og det var ganske almindeligt at lægge en mønt under stormasten. Ved udskiftningen af gamle master blev de penge, der fandtes under dem, tillige med en ny mønt lagt under den nye mast.
På ældre skibe kunne der på den måde være mange mønter under masten

Likewise, it was of great importance, it was believed that there was money in the ship, and it was quite common to put a coin under the mainmast. When the old masts were replaced, the money that was under them, together with a new coin, was put under the new mast. On older ships, there could thus be many coins under the mast.

Bedstefar har aldrig bygget en jolle eller båd, uden at der har været indlagt en mønt mellem stævn og køl eller mellem bjørn og stævn. Han mente ikke, det kunne skade, og så var der da altid penge ombord. Da det for mange var af stor betydning, at denne mønt kom i, var der ikke nogen grund til ikke at følge en sådan skik. Hvis bygherren havde lejlighed til at være til stede ved stævnrejsningen, lagde han selv mønten til og kunne samtidig give et nap med ved rejsningen. Ellers var der ikke nogen ceremoni i denne anledning, udover at han kom ind og fik en kop kaffe. Senere blev der gerne givet en omgang øl. Mange mente, at det med mønten betød lykke og økonomisk godt fiskeri, og når fiskerne kom længere borte fra for at hente kvasen og være med ved søsætningen, spurgte de gerne, om der nu også var kommet penge på kølen, og bedstefar gav altid et bekræftende svar. Denne skik med mønten er stadig blevet bibeholdt på pladsen, og jeg tør sige, at der ikke er blevet bygget noget skib, uden at der har været en mønt i det.

Grandpa has never built a dinghy or boat without a coin inserted between the bow [stem]¹ and keel or between the bear [deadwood]² and the stem. He did not think it could hurt, and then there was always money on board. Since for many it was of great importance that this coin came in, there was no reason not to follow such a custom. If the builder had the opportunity to be present at the rally [raising]³, he added the coin himself and could at the same time give a nap [hand in]⁴ at the raising. Otherwise, there was no ceremony on this occasion, other than that he came in and got a cup of coffee. Later, a round of beer was given. Many thought that the coin meant good luck and financially good fishing, and when the fishermen came further away [later on]⁵ to pick up the drifter and join the launch, they gladly [usually]⁶ asked if there had been [was] money on the keel, and grandfather always gave an affirmative answer. This custom of the coin has still been retained in the square [place]⁷, and I dare say that no ship has been built without a coin in it.

Afleveringen

Efter søsætningen blev kvasen rigget. Enten blev rigningen forarbejdet af bedstefar eller også af en ældre sømand på øen.

The Handover¹

After the launch, the drifter was rigged. Either the rigging was processed by grandfather or also by an elderly sailor on the island.

Så blev kvasen afleveret, og hvis det var inden for fiskesæsonen, gik man på fiskeri med det samme for at få prøvet dens fiskeegenskaber og sejldygtighed. Man ville gerne prøve den med de andre kvaser og se, om den nu havde fået bedre sejlegenskaber, og hvordan sejlene stod. Den var nu som regel akkurat som de foregående, men sommetider blev der dog gjort enkelte forbedringer på de nye. Jeg tror ikke, at der nogen sinde er blevet bygget nogen kvase, som kan siges at have været en „dødsejler”.

Then the drifter was handed over, and if it was within the fishing season, they went fishing immediately to test its fishing properties and sailing ability. One would like to try it with the other drifters and see if it had been given better sailing properties and how the sails stood. It was usually just like the previous ones, but sometimes some improvements were made to the new ones. I do not think that any drifter has ever been built that can be said to have been a “death sailor”.

Kvaserne skulle indregistreres hos toldvæsenet på hjemstedet, hvor de blev målt og optaget i registret. Hvis ejerne straks gik i gang med fiskeriet, ventede de med disse formaliteter, indtil de første gang kom hjem. Bedstefar udfærdigede ved modtagelsen af pengene og afleveringen af kvasen et håndskrevet bilbrev. I al sin enkelhed var dette dog et retsgyldigt dokument, og det blev da også forsynet med stempelmærker, hentet på birkedommergården.

The drifters were to be registered with customs at the place of residence, where they were measured and entered in the register. If the owners immediately started fishing, they waited with these formalities until they first returned home. Grandfather prepared a handwritten car letter [builder’s certificate]¹ upon receipt of the money and delivery of the drifter. In all its simplicity, however, this was a legally valid document, and it was also provided with stamps, picked up at the ‘birk‘ court.

Kvaserne afleveredes i „bilfærdig” stand. Dette begreb dækkede levering af kvasen med beslag og rundholter, samt grundet og kultjæret i bunden. Ejeren måtte derimod selv sørge for anker, sejl, navigationsudstyr, kogegrejer og tovværk.

The drifter was delivered in “car-ready” [rig-ready]¹ condition. This concept covered the delivery of the drifter with fittings and round wood [, masts, and spars]², as well as the primer and coal tar at the bottom. The owner, on the other hand, had to provide anchor, sails, navigation equipment, cooking utensils and ropes.

Som en prøve på ordlyden af det omtalte dokument, kvasens „fødselsattest”, følger teksten til den først byggedes bilbrev:

BILBREV
Underskrevne bådebygger Chr. Nielsen berigtiger her, ved to mænds underskrifter, at have bygget kvasen kaldet „Svalen” og solgt den til fisker Frits Nielsen bilfærdig for 400 kroner (skriver firehundrede kroner).
Kvasen er bygget af eg og fyr, 25 fod imellem stævnene, 9 fod største bredde, 3 fod 8 tommer på midtskibs, og hele benævnte 400 kroner er mig udbetalt.
Fejø 19 de april 1894

As a test of the wording of the document in question, the drifter ‘birth certificate’, the text of the first person’s car license [builder’s certificate]¹ follows:

BUILDER’S CERTIFICATE
Signed boat builder Chr. Nielsen corrects² here, by the signatures of two men, to have built the drifter called “The Swallow” and sold it to fisherman Frits Nielsen ready for sale for 400 kroner (writes four hundred kroner). The drifter is built of oak and pine, 25 feet between the bows [stem and stern]³, 9 feet largest width, 3 feet 8 inches on the midships, and the entire said 400 kroner has been paid to me.
Fejø 19 de april 1894

Ålevåd og ålefiskeri

Da ålefiskeriet var af meget stor betydning, specielt i Smålandsfarvandet og Lillebælt, og da den af bedstefar konstruerede drivkvase, hvis bygning lige er beskrevet, kom til at spille så stor en rolle, vil det sikkert ikke være uden interesse at få en beskrivelse i kortetræk af ålefiskeriet.

Håndvåddet blev almindeligvis drevet fra to joller, hvor man i den ene jolle, der var forsynet med dam, havde den ene line, mens våddet og den anden line var i den anden jolle. Efter at den første var ankret eller gjort fast til bunden på anden måde, roede man så først den ene line ud med den jolle, der havde våddet; derefter sattes dette, og man gav den sidste line ud og roede op tværs af den første jolle og ankrede så også denne, hvorefter våddet i linerne haledes op til jollen. Således fortsattes under hele fiskeriet.

Eel Net and Eel Fishing

Since the eel fishery was of great importance, especially in Smålandsfarvandet and Lillebælt, and as the drifters designed by grandfather, whose building has just been described, came to play such a big role, it will probably not be without interest to get a brief description of eel fishing.

The hand net was usually driven from two dinghies, where one dinghy was provided with a pond [well]¹ and had one line, while the net and the other line were in the other dinghy. After the first had been anchored or fastened to the bottom in some other way, one line was first rowed out with the dinghy that had the net; then this was set, and the last line was given out and rowed up to the first dinghy and then anchored as well, after which the wet in the lines was hauled up to the dinghy. Thus continued throughout the fishery.

Soppevåddet var et våd af lidt mindre dimensioner og brugtes kun på lavt vand. Liner og våd soppedes ud, dvs. fiskeren gik soppende i vandet ud med våddet, undertiden til vandet gik ham midt på livet, hvorefter det som håndvåddet haledes op til det sted, hvorfra det var sat.

The mushroom [wading]¹ net was a net of slightly smaller dimensions and was used only in shallow water. Line and net were waded out, i.e. the fisherman went wading in the water out with the net, sometimes to the water went him in [up to] the middle of the waist, after which it as the hand-net was hauled up to the place from which it was set.

Landdragningsvåddet sattes fra kysten, og fremgangsmåden var den samme som ved håndvåddet, bortset fra, at der kun brugtes én jolle til at sætte våddet med, mens indhalingsarbejdet foregik fra land.

The land dragnet¹ was set from the shore, and the procedure was the same as for the hand net, except that only one dinghy was used to set the net , while the hauling work took place from land.

Åledrivvåddet var et redskab, der lignede de foregående våd, men brugen var noget anderledes. Det var formet som en sæk med arme og med en enkelt kalv for at holde på ålene, at de ikke skulle kunne løbe ud af våddet, når de var fangede. Ifølge C. F. Drechsel: O’versigt over vore Saltvandsfiskerier (København 1890), side 52, var våddets dimensioner:

The eel drift net was a tool similar to the previous net, but the use was somewhat different. It was shaped like a sack with arms and with a single calf [funnel]¹ to hold on to the eels so that they would not be able to run out of the net when caught. According to C. F. Drechsel: Overview of our Saltwater Fisheries (Copenhagen 1890), page 52, the dimensions of the wetland were:

Fiskeri med åledrivvåd

Hvis fiskeriet skulle begynde med det samme, når fiskeren modtog kvasen fra bedstefar, havde han sørget for at tage fiskegrejet med hjemmefra. Han og hans kone havde gerne lavet ålevåddet om vinteren forud for kvasens færdiggørelse. De købte oftest bomuldsgarn og knyttede og bandt selv våddet og førte det på vådline. Denne kunne tit være brugt og stammede da fra et ældre våd. Skulle våddet købes færdigt, var prisen ca. 75-80 kr., men når de lavede det selv, havde de kun de direkte udgifter på ca. 20-25 kr. til materialerne. Hvis det var en driftig fisker, ville han desuden gerne have et ekstra våd. De kultjærede våd, man brugte ved århundredskiftet, fiskede nemlig bedst, når de var tørre; blev de gennemsilet af vand, bevirkede dette, at de blev slatne og ikke kunne stå med den rigtige facon i vandet

Fishing with Eel Driftnet

If the fishing was to begin immediately when the fisherman received the drifter from grandfather, he made sure to take the fishing tackle with him from home. He and his wife would have liked to [usually]¹ have made the eel net in the winter prior to the completion of the drifter. They most often bought cotton yarn and tied [knotted]² and tied³ the wet themselves and led it on the wet line. This could often have been used and originated from an older wet. Should the net be bought finished, the price was approx. 75-80 DKK, but when they made it themselves, they only had the direct expenses of approx. DKK 20-25 for the materials. If it was an enterprising fisherman, he would usually have an extra net. The coal-tarred nets used at the turn of the century fished best when they were dry; if they were permeated with water, this caused them to become sluggish and unable to stand with the right shape in the water.

Fra fiskekvasen var våddet spilet med liner mellem dennes spryd og drivbom. Man forestiller sig nu kvasen rigget til fiskeri: forreste og agterste vådline, der var af græstovværk (kokos), var gjort lige lange, og længden var afmærket på den agterste vådline, der efter behag kunne gøres lang eller kort. Forlinen var forsynet med et splejset øje, der var smøget over nokken på sprydet, og en indhalerline var gjort fast en ca. 4 favne fra nokken, for at man kunne få linen ind på dækket af kvasen. Agter var der gennem et hul i drivbommen i kvasens centerplan stukket et tov, som var ført ind på en klamp på drivbommens inderende, og den anden var knobet til vådlinen, dér hvor den havde samme længde som den forreste line. Denne line blev nu halet til huls og gjort fast på drivbommen. Der var også på agterlinen en tynd line, som var ført ind til dækket for at man kunne hale vådlinen ind. Vådlinen havde en passende længde efter kvasens længde mellem spryd og drivbom. Mellem de to liner var åledrivvåddet fastgjort. Våd og line lå nu på kvasens fordæk lige foran for vantene ved masten i styrbords side, da fiskeriet skulle foregå fra denne side, for at kvasen kunne følge søfartsreglerne med vinden ind fra styrbords side for at have forret frem for de skibe, der havde vinden ind fra bagbord, idet de skulle holde tilbage for den*.

From the drifter, the net was played out with lines between its spear [sprit]¹ and drift boom. One now imagines the drifter rigged for fishing: the front and aft net line, which were of grass [coir]² rope (coconut), were made equal in length, and the length was marked on the aft net line, which could be made long or short at will. The front line was provided with a spliced ​​eye that was slid over the cam on [end of]³ the sprit, and an inhaler [inhaul]⁴ line was attached to an approx. 4 embraces [fathoms]⁶ from the sprit end, so that one could get the line onto the deck of the drifter. At the stern, a rope was inserted through a hole in the drift boom on the centerline of the drifter, which was led into a clamp [cleat]⁷ on the inside [inner end] of the drive boom, and the other was knotted to the net line, where it had the same length as the front line. This line was now hauled to the hole and fastened to the drift boom. There was also a thin line on the stern line, which was led onto the deck so that the net line could be hauled in. The net line had a suitable length according to the length of the drifter between the sprit and the drift boom. Between the two lines the eel drift net was fastened.

Net and line were now on the front deck of the drifter right in front of the mittens [shrouds]⁸ by the mast on the starboard side, as the fishing had to take place from this side, so that the drifter could follow the rules of the sea with the wind in from the starboard side, to have starter [right-of-way⁹ rather than the [over] ships that had the wind in from port, having to hold back for it*.

*Ved en fejltagelse er planche XV.A i C. F. Drechsel: Oversigt over vore
Saltvandsfiskerier (Kbh. 1890) blevet spejlvendt, således at våddet vises sat fra bagbords side i stedet for styrbords side. Det samme er tilfældet i F. Holm-Petersen & Kaj Lund: Høst fra Havet (Odense 1960), s. 150 (øverstetegning).

*By mistake, plate XV.A in C. F. Drechsel: Overview of our Saltwater fisheries (Copenhagen 1890) has been mirrored so that the net is shown set from the port side instead of the starboard side. The same is the case in F. Holm-Petersen & Kaj Lund: Høst fra Havet (Odense 1960), p. 150 (top drawing).

Man sejlede nu ud til fiskepladsen, og man placerede sig, så kvasen kunne drive tildels med vinden. Så gaves våddet ud efter at der først blev bandet for det dér, hvor ålene skulle tages ud, og hvor det skulle renses for tang, mudder o.lign. (kaldet „møg”); dette var i våddets bageste del. Man lempede nu våddet ud over siden og passede på, at det ikke væltede, da det jo skulle have oversiden med korkflåderne (flådholterne) op og underliget med jernvægtene, i reglen bestående af 2-3 kædeled hver, ned. Når så dette var gjort, gav man lidt ud på vådlinen og strammede så lidt for at se, om våddet stod som det skulle. Dette var ikke altid let, isa:r ikke, når det var nattemørkt. Så gav man resten af linen ud, og fiskeriet kunne begynde.

They now sailed out to the fishing place, and they positioned themselves so that the drifter could drift partly with the wind. Then the net is given out after first tying the place where the eels were to be taken out and where it was to be cleaned of seaweed, mud and the like. (called “dung”); this was in the back of the net. They now loosened [eased]¹ the net over the side and made sure that it did not tip over, as it should have the upper side with the cork rafts [floats]³ (raft holders [wood floats]²) up and lower with the iron weights [below], usually consisting of 2-3 chain links each, down [descending]⁶. When this was done, you put a little out on [paid out a little of] the net line and then tightened a little to see if the net was as it should be. This was not always easy, especially when it was dark at night. Then the rest of the line was released and fishing could begin.

Kvasen drev sidelæns hen over bunden med våddet slæbende efter sig. Der blev helst drevet med klyver og mesan for at få så megen balance som muligt ved sejlføringen, og topsejlet var i reglen firet ned i læ af storsejlet. Det blev igen sat, når der atter skulle sejles op til fiskepladsen. Et træk kunne have forskellig længde, fra 1/2 time til 1-1/2 time, alt efter bund- og vejrforholdene samt fiskebestanden. Ved at stille sejlene kunne man drive i lidt forskellige retninger. Kvasen kunne sejle lidt fremefter, samtidig med at den drev sidelæns, eller den kunne drive lidt agterefter. Det første hed at drive bidevind, og det andet at drive bak.

The smack drifted sideways across the bottom with the net trailing behind it. Cleavers [Jib]¹ and mezzanine [mizzen]² were preferably driven [set] to get as much balance as possible when guiding the sail [in the sail plan]³, and the topsail was usually lowered under the shelter [in the lee] of the mainsail. It was set again when sailing again to the fishing place. A haul could have different lengths, from 1/2 hour to 1-1/2 hours, depending on the bottom and weather conditions as well as the fish stock. By setting the sails, one could drift in slightly different directions. Drifters could sail a little forward, at the same time as it drifted sideways, or it could drift a little aft. The first was called drive biting wind [sailing close-hauled]⁴, and the second driving backwards [drifting astern].

Når så drivet var udløbet, blev der givet slæk på den agterste drivline, så kvasen kunne gå til vinden, og nu haledes linerne ind foran for vantet og blev skudt op på dækket. Så blev våddet halet op til kvasen. Når armene og noget af våddet var kommet ombord, blev der slået en strop om det sidste af våddet, og det blev løftet med en talje i rigningen, kaldet et „skidttakkel”. Ålevåddets indhold af fisk og „møg” blev så styrtet ud på damdækket, og fisken skulle derpå sorteres. Ålene blev målt, da de ikke måtte være under 13 tommer. Var de det, blev de smidt ud igen. Når så våddet var renset for sit indhold, blev det med det samme igen givet ud, eller man sejlede først tilbage til det sted, hvor drivet var begyndt.

When the drift had ended, slack was given to the aft drift line so that the drifter could go to the wind, and now the lines were hauled in front of the mitten [shrouds]¹ and were shot up on the deck. Then the net was hauled up to the drifter. When the arms and some of the net had come on board, a strap was tied around the last of the net, and it was lifted with a hoist in the rig, called a “dirt tackle”. The eel net’s content of fish and “dung” was then dumped on the pond deck [well deck]², and the fish then had to be sorted. The eels were measured as they must not be under 13 inches. Were they, they were thrown out again. When the net was cleaned of its contents, it was immediately re-released, or one sailed back to the place where the drift had begun.

Ålevådsfiskeriet med drivkvase kunne drives hårdt og var da et træls arbejde. Fiskeriet varede fra i maj til i september og foregik om natten, undtagen i den varme sommertid, hvor det også kunne ske om dagen. I den tid var der mange fiskere, der så godt som ikke fik søvn. Besætningen bestod nemlig kun af fiskeren og en dreng (kaldet „styrmanden”). Hvis det blev helt stille, kunne der ikke drives, og når så fiskeren lagde sig på køjen, var det tit med topsejlskødet snoet om håndleddet, så han kunne blive vækket, når sejlet slog for vinden og trak i hånden. Ha n kom så op i en fart og fortsatte med fiskeriet. Dette lønnede sig i den sidste ende, da en kvase almindeligvis kunne fiske for et beløb af 6-700 kr. i en sæson, mens de ihærdige fiskere kunne fiske både for 1000 og 1200 kr. En nat med 100 ål blev regnet for meget fin, og med en ålepris af 35 øre pr. pund kunne det give 7 kr., når der regnedes 5 ål på pundet. Hertil kom de ålekvabber, fladfisk og andre fisk, som kom i nettet. Mange fejrede en sådan fangst ved at få serveret tynde pandekager.

The eel fishing with drifters could be run hard and was then a slave’s job. The fishing lasted from May to September and took place at night, except during the hot summer time, when it could also happen during the day. At that time, there were many fishermen who virtually did not get sleep. The crew consisted only of the fisherman and a boy (called the “helmsman”). If it became completely still, it could not drift, and when the fisherman laid down on the berth, it was often with the topsail lap [sheet]¹ twisted around his wrist, so that he could be awakened when the sail hit the wind and pulled his hand. He then got up to speed and continued fishing. This paid off in the end, as a drifter could usually fish for an amount of 6-700 DKK in a season, while the tenacious fishermen could fish for both 1000 and 1200 DKK. A night with 100 eels was considered very nice , and with an eel price of 35 øre per. pounds, it could give 7 kr., when 5 eels were counted on the pound. In addition, there were eelfish [eelpout]², flatfish and other fish, which came into the net. Many celebrated such a catch by being served thin pancakes.

De der drev på strømkanten, hvilket var vanskeligt fiskeri og krævede megen påpasselighed med stadig brug af pejlstage og en omhyggelig navigation, kunne tit få den dobbelte fangst af ål, foruden at der her gerne var flere ålekvabber og også godt kunne være nogle fladfisk som skrubber og rødspætter, og dette satte fortjenesten væsentligt op, – men det krævede også sin mand, da våddet hele tiden skulle gå oppe på kanten af strømskåret og ikke måtte vælte ned i det dybe. Gjorde det det, var hele trækket spildt.

Those who drifted on the stream [channel]¹ edge, which was difficult fishing and required a lot of care with the constant use of beacons and careful navigation, could often get double the catch of eel, in addition to the fact that there were more eel moths [eelpouts]² and also could be some flatfish, such as flounder and plaice, and this significantly increased profits – but it also required her husband [manliness]³, as the net had to constantly go up on the edge of the stream [channel]¹ cut [dropoff]⁴ and not have to tumble into the deep. If it did, the whole move [trawl]⁵ was wasted.

Efter at våddet igen var givet ud, kunne drengen begynde at sortere fisk og „møg” på damdækket. Dette skulle være overstået, inden der igen kunne hales, så der var nok at gøre for både fisker og dreng. Mange drenge fik kosten og de penge, de kunne tjene ved at sortere butter og rejer fra til krogbestik. De driftigste fiskere gav derimiod drengen fast løn og en lille andel i butter og rejer, da disse for dem var en ret stor del af fortjenesten. Det var et vådt og koldt arbejde at fiske, men det føltes af mange som et herligt frit liv, og drengene regnede sig da også for finere end de kammerater, som måtte gå hos bønderne. De havde også flere penge mellem hænderne end disse, da de som sagt havde andel i småfisken. Ved flid og sparsommelighed fik de tit sparet så meget sammen, at de, når de havde aftjent deres værnepligt og været til orlogs, kunne købe sig et fiskerfartøj og begynde for sig selv, tit uden at skylde hverken på kvasen eller redskaberne.

After the net was released again, the boy could start sorting fish and “dung” on the pond deck. This had to be done before it could be hauled again, so there was plenty to do for both fisherman and boy. Many boys got the diet [meals]¹ and the money they could earn by sorting butter² and shrimp from to hook cutlery [for hook bait]³. The most enterprising fishermen, on the other hand, gave the boy a fixed salary and a small share in butter and shrimp, as these were for them a fairly large part of the profit. It was a wet and cold job to fish, but it was felt by many as a glorious free life, and the boys considered themselves finer than the comrades who had to go to the farmers. They also had more money in their hands than these, as they had a share in the small fish. By diligence and frugality, they often saved so much together that once they had completed their military service and went to war, they could buy a fishing vessel and start for themselves, often without blaming [owing for]⁴ either the drifter or the gear.

Det var ikke alle fiskere, der tog ud at fiske i storm, men givet var det, at dårligt vejr tit kunne give mange ål, særlig hvis der i længere tid havde været stille og varmt. Det var da ligesom ålene blev mere løse fra bunden og var lettere at fange. Men det var hårdt arbejde at ligge ude og fiske i mørke og regn. De ældre fiskere kunne ud fra vanddybden og bundens beskaffenhed sige hvor de var; det var jo umuligt at orientere sig om, hvor der var land, når alt var buldrende mørke. Da en normal dagløn i land kun var ca. 2,50 å 3,00 kr., var det gode penge, der kom hjem efter strenge nætter på fiskepladserne.

Not all fishermen went fishing in storms, but it was a given that bad weather could often give many eels, especially if it had been quiet and warm for a long time. It was then as if the eels became more loose from the bottom and were easier to catch. But it was hard work to lie outside and fish in the dark and rain. The older fishermen could, from the depth of the water and the nature of the bottom, say where they were; after all, it was impossible to find out where there was land when everything was rumbling dark. When a normal daily wage ashore was only approx. 2.50 to 3.00 DKK, it was good money that came home after strict nights at the fishing spots.

Bådebyggeriet op til 1917

Da efterspørgslen efter kvaserne blev større og større, og der gerne altid var forudbestillinger, var der mulighed for bedstefar at lægge lidt på prisen. Da standarden også steg i konkurrencen med de kvaser, der blev bygget en del andre steder, var det jo også nødvendigt at sætte prisen op. Arbejdstiden steg da også med en 100 å 200 timer fra de første kvaser og til de senere, og prisen steg fra ca. 700 kr. til 850 kr. Den sidste kvase, der blev bygget 1914, kostede 875 kr. bilfærdig. Det var imidlertid ikke så lidt billigere end hvad de i Tyskland byggede og indkøbte kvaser beløb sig til. Da arbejdstiden på en kvase var 800 å 1000 timer, og da materialerne udgjorde ca. halvdelen af prisen, kan bedstefars priser jo på ingen måde siges at have været ublu. (Jfr. bilag 1).

Boatbuilding up to 1917

As the demand for the drifters got bigger and bigger, and there were always pre-orders, there was an opportunity for Grandpa to put a little on the price. As the standard also increased in the competition with the drifters that were built in many other places, it was also necessary to raise the price. The working hours also increased by 100 to 200 hours from the first drifter to the later ones, and the price increased from approx. DKK 700 to DKK 850. The last drifter, built in 1914, cost DKK 875 car-ready [rig-ready]¹. However, it was not so little cheaper [small an amount less] than what they in Germany built and purchased [German-built] drifters amounted to. When the working time on a drifter was 800 to 1000 hours, and when the materials amounted to approx. half the price, grandfather’s prices can in no way be said to have been exorbitant. (See Appendix 1).

Ifølge opbevarede gamle regnskaber og papirer blev der i året 1895 i november afleveret en kvase til Jens Peter Jensen („Degn”) på Askø. Det var den tredje af bedstefars senere så velkendte Fejøkvaser. I 1896 afleveredes kvaser i maj, juni og september, i 1897 i marts, maj og august, i 1898 i januar, maj og november, i 1899 i april. Ind imellem blev der bygget joller og udført kølhalings arbejde ved havnen.

According to stored old accounts and papers, in the year 1895 in November a drifter was handed over to Jens Peter Jensen (“Degn”) on Askø. It was the third of grandfather’s later so well-known Fejøkvaser. In 1896 drifters were delivered in May, June and September, in 1897 in March, May and August, in 1898 in January, May and November, in 1899 in April. Occasionally, dinghies were built and keel hauling work was carried out at the harbor.

Bedstefar kunne ikke altid overkomme arbejdet ene mand, men fik flere gange hjælp af en hustømrer Rasmus Jørgensen og af den nævnte Chr. Mortensen, indtil denne begyndte for sig selv med eget bådebyggeri, også i Østerby. Der har aldrig været konkurrence og uenighed mellem bedstefar og ham, og familierne kom gerne sammen et par gange i vinterens løb til aftenkaffe. Hvis bedstefar ikke kunne klare efterspørgslen efter kvaser, var det tit, at han henviste til Chr. Mortensen, og dennes kvaser var også hans egne meget lig. De tog da også gerne på skovauktion sammen i skoven ved Torrig på Lolland og sejlede derover i bedstefars lille jolle. Det kan siges, at Chr.Mortensen og bedstefar har været med til at gøre deres til, at åledrivkvasefiskeriet fik den udbredelse, det fik, og til at Fejø-kvasen blev kendt overalt, hvor ålefiskeri med kvase er drevet.

Grandfather could not always cope with the work as one man, but several times received help from house carpenter Rasmus Jørgensen and from the aforementioned Chr. Mortensen, until he started for himself with his own boatyard, also in Østerby. There has never been competition and disagreement between grandfather and him, and the families like to get together a few times during the winter for evening coffee. If grandfather could not cope with the demand for drifters, it was often that he referred to Chr. Mortensen, and his drifters were also very similar to his own. They also went to a forest auction together in the forest at Torrig on Lolland and sailed over there in grandfather’s little dinghy. It can be said that Chr. Mortensen and grandfather have helped to make their eel drifter fishery as widespread as it was, and that the Fejø drifter became known everywhere where eel fishing with drifters was practiced.

Der blev i årene op til 1914 bygget relativt mange drivkvaser på bedstefars plads i forhold til dennes beskedne størrelse, ca. 2-3 om året. Ialt byggede han omkring 40 drivkvaser (se fortegnelsen herover i bilag 2, samt prøver på fiskernes breve, bilag 3). Når det tages i betragtning, at der indimellem blev bygget enkelte både og joller samt udført reparationsarbejder i havnen, må det siges, at der hele tiden var fuld beskæftigelse

In the years up to 1914, a relatively large number of drifters were built in grandfather’s place in relation to its modest size, approx. 2-3 a year. In total, he built about 40 drifters (see the list above in appendix 2, as well as samples of the fishermen’s letters, appendix 3). Considering that occasional boats and dinghies were also built and repair work carried out in the harbor, it must be said that there was full employment at all times.

Som bierhverv blev bedstefar 1904 havnefoged efter Niels Christensen, den første havnefoged. Det var bedstemor, der særlig var stemt for, at han overtog dette hverv, og hun førte da også regnskab med indførelse af havnepenge og opkrævning af vareafgiften. Desuden passede hun ledefyrene, som var petroleumslamper indtil 1911, da øen fik elektricitetsværk. Helt op til sin død 1940 førte hun havneregnskabet. Bedstefar, og efter hans død far, sørgede for opkrævningen af havnepengene og anviste de indkomne skibe deres plads i havnen.

As a sideline, grandfather became harbor master in 1904 after Niels Christensen, the first harbor master. It was grandmother who in particular voted for him to take over this task, and she also kept accounts of the introduction of port fees and the collection of excise duty. In addition, she cared for the beacons, which were kerosene lamps until 1911, when the island got a power plant. Right up until her death in 1940, she kept the port accounts. Grandfather, and after his death father, arranged for the collection of the harbor dues and assigned the incoming ships their place in the harbor.

I de travle perioder havde bedstefar forskellige håndværkere til at gå sig til hånde, og i 1907 kom den ældste af de fem børn hjem for at hjælpe til i bådebyggeriet. Det var min far, Niels Carl Nielsen (kaldet Carl Nielsen), som var født 17. juni 1886. Ha n havde sejlet, siden han blev konfirmeret, først med småskibe i fragtfarten, siden med sten- og vragfiskere og til sidst med dampskibe i Nord-Østersøfarten, på Middelhavet, Vestindien og Nordatlanten.

During the busy periods, Grandpa had various craftsmen to help, and in 1907 the eldest of the five children came home to help with the boat building. It was my father, Niels Carl Nielsen (called Carl Nielsen), who was born June 17, 1886. He had sailed since he was confirmed, first with small ships in freight, then with stone¹ and wreck² fishermen, and finally with steamships in North-Baltic shipping, on the Mediterranean, the West Indies and the North Atlantic.

For ikke helt at være økonomisk afhængig af arbejdet ved bådebyggeriet bekostede han en gammel Nordenhuse-båd sat i stand, så den kunne bruges til ålevådsfiskeri samt til sildefiskeri med drivgarn. Det var en båd, bedstefar havde fået med i købet, takseret til 3 favne brænde, da han 1903 byggede en kvase til fisker Peter Olsen, Fejø. Den havde ligget på engen siden, da der ikke var blevet gjort alvor af at få den hugget op. Nu fik den isat sænkekøl, fik nyt dæk, ruf for, indretning, dam, ny rigning og nye sejl. Det blev lavet så billigt som muligt uden for arbejdstiden, men båden blev dog klar til sildesæsonen i august og fik navnet „Silden”. Far og to andre fiskere, Carl Christensen og Julius Christensen, fiskede nu sammen nogle år i sildetiden, og de fiskede også ret godt. Samtidig blev båden om sommeren brugt af de yngre brødre til ålefiskeri. Den anvendtes også til at hente træ i skovene ved Torrig, for så blev der jo sparet fragten til en bådskipper, og da bedstefar skulle med alligevel, var det jo også penge at spare. Træet blev kørt ud i vandet med hestevogn. Små træer blev ladet i båden, mens de større kævler som kølog stævntræ blev surret op under båden. På den måde blev det transporteret hjem til Fejø. Båden blev først ophugget i 1920’erne, så den kom på den måde til at gøre god fyldest, efter at den allerede var blevet dømt til ophugning 1903.

In order not to be completely financially dependent on the boat building work, he paid for an old Nordenhuse boat set up so that it could be used for eel fishing as well as for herring fishing with drift nets. It was a boat that grandfather had bought, valued at 3 fathoms of firewood, when he built a drifter for fisherman Peter Olsen, Fejø in 1903. It had been lying on the meadow since no action had been taken to have it cut up. Now it got a lowered keel, got a new deck, [coach]¹ roof forward, interior, pond [well]², new rigging and new sails. It was made as cheaply as possible outside working hours, but the boat was ready for the herring season in August and was named “Herring”. Father and two other fishermen, Carl Christensen and Julius Christensen, now fished together for a few years during the herring season, and they also fished quite well. At the same time, in the summer, the boat was used by the younger brothers for eel fishing. It was also used to pick up wood in the forests by Torrig, because then the freight for a boat skipper was saved, and when grandfather had to come anyway, it was also money to save. The trees were driven into the water by horse-drawn carriage. Small trees were loaded into the boat, while the larger logs, such as keel and bow trees, were tied up under the boat. In this way it was transported home to Fejø. The boat was first dismantled in the 1920s, so it came to do well after it had already been sentenced to dismantling in 1903.

1908 måtte far til orlogs med „Herluf Trolle” fra 18. maj til 25. september. Resten af året arbejdede han på orlogsværftet og fik om aftenen undervisning i tegning og konstruktion af skibe hos en mester Bensen.

In 1908, father had to go to war with “Herluf Trolle” from 18 May to 25 September. The rest of the year he worked at the naval shipyard and in the evenings received instruction in drawing and construction of ships from a master Bensen.

Efter han kom hjem fra orlogsværftet, til nytår 1909, arbejdede han atter hos sin far. Da et skipperhus, der lå ved siden af bådebyggeriet, var til salg 1911, købte bedstefar det og flyttede derhen. Det lå bedre ved vejen. Da far efter længere tids forlovelse giftede sig 17. maj 1912 med min mor, Anna Marie Petersen, født 25. maj 1882 på Bornholm, flyttede de ind i det gamle stuehus til bådebyggeriet. Efter en ombygning i 1910 blev det gamle værksted lagt til stuehuset, så det nye værksted nu lå helt uden for dette mod syd. Det havde fået et gulvareal på 10×15 alen, og det var indrettet med ovenlys, hvilket havde været savnet meget i det gamle værksted. Samtidig var der blevet købt endnu et lille engstykke, med strandret og med brugsret over fællesengen, nærmest for ikke at miste færdselsretten over engen, når fartøjerne skulle søsættes.

After returning home from the naval shipyard, until New Year 1909, he worked again with his father. When a skipper’s house next to the boatyard was for sale in 1911, Grandpa bought it and moved there. It was better by the road. When my father, after a long engagement, married my mother, Anna Marie Petersen, born on May 25, 1882 on Bornholm, on May 17, 1912, they moved into the old farmhouse for boat building. After a rebuilding in 1910, the old workshop was added to the farmhouse, so the new workshop was now completely outside this to the south. It had been given a floor area of 20-1/2 x 31 feet and it was furnished with skylights, which had been missed a lot in the old workshop. At the same time, another small piece of meadow had been bought, with beach rights and with right of use over the common meadow, almost so as not to lose the right of way across the meadow when the vessels were to be launched.

I 1910 blev den første motorbåd bygget af bedstefar, nemlig en postbåd til postfører Mikkelsen, Vejrø, til afløsning af den gamle post jolle fra 1880, som nu blev købt af postmester Jensen, Fejø, og ombygget til lystbåd. Den nye postbåd kostede bilfærdig med beslag 520 kr. Den var bygget af eg, så den kunne tåle at sejle, selv om der var lidt isbelægning på vandet. Den var ca. 20 fod langog forsynet med en 3 hestes glødehovedmotor („Alpha”, Frederikshavn), og denne gav båden en fart af 5-1/2 knob. Den blev brugt som postbåd uden udskiftning af motoren, til den i 1930’erne blev solgt til andet brug, da postruten Fejø-Vejrø blev nedlagt og erstattet med en ny rute Vejrø-Kragenæs.

In 1910, the first motorboat was built by grandfather, namely a mail boat for postmaster Mikkelsen, Vejrø, to replace the old mail dinghy from 1880, which was now bought by postmaster Jensen, Fejø, and converted into a pleasure boat. The new mail boat cost 520 kr. It was built of oak so that it could withstand sailing, even if there was little ice coating on the water. It was approx. 20 feet long and equipped with a 3 horse glow [hot-bulb]¹ engine (“Alpha”, Frederikshavn), and this gave the boat a speed of 5-1/2 knots. It was used as a mail boat without replacing the engine, until it was sold for other uses in the 1930s, when the Fejø-Vejrø postal route was closed down and replaced with a new Vejrø-Kragenæs route.

Den største båd, som nogensinde blev bygget på pladsen, var en 41 fod 5 tom. lang klinkbygget egetræs lastbåd, „Viking II” , til en af bedstefars sønner, Ejler Nielsen. Han kom hjem efter at have sejlet nogle år og ville begynde inden for fragtfarten med en paketrute mellem Fejø og Nykøbing Falster. Ruten gik godt og blev først helt indstillet efter sidste verdenskrig. Båden var en god sejler, og da den også samtidig var forsynet med en 8 hestes „Dan”-motor, kunne den uden vanskelighed opretholde ruten planmæssigt.

The largest boat ever built on the site was a 41 foot 5 inch¹ long clinker-built oak cargo boat, “Viking II”, for one of grandfather’s sons, Ejler Nielsen. He came home after sailing for a few years and wanted to start in freight with a package route between Fejø and Nykøbing Falster. The route went well and was only completely stopped after the last world war. The boat was a good sailor, and since it was also equipped with an 8-horsepower “Dan” engine, it could easily maintain the route according to plan.

Den sidste drivkvase blev bygget 1914, da fiskeriet nu også var blevet udvidet til fiskeri med sildedrivgarn. Flere kvaser havde også fået motor, så de kunne bruges til skovlvådsfiskeri, hvorved der krævedes brug af fartøjet hele året. Efter at motoren var blevet almindelig, var det ikke mere nødvendigt at drive med ålevåddet; nu kunne der lige så godt trækkes efter ål, – en fiskerimetode, der stadig bruges. Dertil var de kølbyggede både mere anvendelige, og man gik derfor over til igen at bygge sådanne. Det stykke, der i 1894 var blevet skåret af skabelonen, da bedstefar startede bygningen af drivkvaserne, blev derfor igen påsat, og de følgende både blev alle bygget med køl.

The last drifter was built in 1914, as the fishery had now also been expanded to fishing with herring drift nets. Several drifters had also been given an engine so that they could be used for paddle [otter-trawl]¹ fishing, which required the use of the vessel all year round². After the engine had become commonplace, it was no longer necessary to operate with the eel net; – a fishing method still in use³. In addition, the keel-built boats were more usable, and they therefore switched to building such again. The piece that had been cut from the template in 1894, when grandfather started building the drifters, was therefore reattached, and the following boats were all built with keels.

Min bedstefar, Christian Nielsen, døde i marts 1917 efter at have virket som bådebygger på Fejø først et par år i 1870’erne og siden på denne plads fra 1878. I de forløbne 39 år havde han bygget ca. 200 fartøjer af forskellig størrelse.

My grandfather, Christian Nielsen, died in March 1917 after working as a boat builder on Fejø first for a couple of years in the 1870s and then on this place from 1878. In the past 39 years he had built approx. 200 vessels of various sizes.

Bådebyggeriet efter 1917

Efter bedstefars død overtog min far Carl Nielsen bådebyggeriet og samtidig stillingen som havnefoged. Han løste håndværkerborgerskab 7. aug. 1917. Da bedstefar døde, var en båd på 28 fod under bygning til fisker Viggo Nielsen, Onsevig. Denne og lignende både indtog nu drivkvasernes plads, og far byggede i det næste tiår af både og større joller følgende:

Boatbuilding after 1917

After my grandfather’s death, my father Carl Nielsen took over the boat building and at the same time the position as harbor master. He redeemed [procured]¹ craftsman citizenship 7 Aug 1917. When grandfather died, a 28-foot boat was under construction for fisherman Viggo Nielsen, Onsevig. This and similar boats now took the place of the drifters, and during the following decade father built the following boats and larger dinghies:

Ind imellem blev der bygget små joller og pramme, samtidig med at der lavedes motorarbejde og andet reparationsarbejde. I 1928 byggedes en 22 fods bundgarnsjolle af eg, forsynet med en 7-9 hestes „Hejn” motor (Randers). Prisen var i bilfærdig stand med beslag 1100 kr. Den var til fisker Duval Jensen, Askø. 1935 leveredes en 21 fods motorbåd som lodsbåd til Oreby. 1937 byggedes en 27 fods egetræs fiskebåd („Gerda”) til fisker Duval Jensen, Askø. Båden var forsynet med en 10-12 hestes motor („Hejn”, Randers). Prisen var bilfærdig med beslag og malet 2500 kr. 1938 afleveredes en 21 fods lodsjolle til lods Løje, Bandholm, forsynet med en 8 hestes „Solo”-motor. 1939 blev bygget et specielt fartøj efter type af en gammel jagt, klinkbygget af Kalmar-træ, på 23 fod, til ingeniør Knud E. Hansen, Espergærde; den blev kaldt „Solstraale”. 1946 byggedes en motorbåd „Fri” på klink af lærk, 27 fod lang og forsynet med en 10 hk dieselmotor, til sønnen, Chr. Nielsen, Fejø (denne artikels forfatter). 1948 afleveredes en 28 fods fiskebåd („Vira”), af eg med en 20 hk dieselmotor til fisker Aksel Bang, Skalø. Båden kostede bilfærdig og med motorarbejde 8500 kr., og der medgik 1850 arbejdstimer. Egetræet hertil kostede alene 2500 kr. i opskåren stand.

Occasionally, small dinghies and barges were built, while engine work and other repair work were done. In 1928, a 22-foot bottom [pound]¹ net dinghy was built of oak, equipped with a 7-9 horsepower “Hejn” engine (Randers). The price was DKK 1,100 in car-ready [rig-ready]³ condition, with fittings. It was for fisherman Duval Jensen, Askø. In 1935, a 21-foot motorboat was delivered as a pilot boat to Oreby. In 1937, a 27-foot oak fishing boat (“Gerda”) was built for fisherman Duval Jensen, Askø. The boat was equipped with a 10-12 horsepower engine (“Hejn”, Randers). The price was rig-ready with fittings and painted DKK 2,500. In 1938, a 21-foot pilot dinghy was handed over to pilot Løje, Bandholm, equipped with an 8-horsepower “Solo” engine. In 1939, a special vessel of 23 feet was built according to the type of an old yacht, clinker-built of Kalmar wood, for engineer Knud E. Hansen, Espergærde; it was called “Solstraale”. In 1946, a clinker-built motorboat “Fri” was constructed of larch, 27 feet long and equipped with a 10 hp diesel engine, for the son, Chr. Nielsen, Fejø (author of this article). In 1948, a 28-foot fishing boat (“Vira”) was delivered, made of oak with a 20 hp diesel engine to fisherman Aksel Bang, Skalø. The boat cost 8500 DKK when finished, with engine work, and 1850 working hours were included. The oak for this alone cost DKK 2,500 in cut condition.

Nybygningernes antal er i de forløbne år ikke så stort som før, men far har fra 1914 haft arbejde om efteråret for Sakskøbing sukkerfabrik, først som prøvetager og senere som vejer på Fejø fra midt i september til jul. I 1920 købte han en båndsav, og gennem årene har han skåret meget brænde for øens beboere. Ind imellem lavede han frugtkasser til den stadig voksende frugteksport fra Fejø. Samticlig var der ikke så lidt arbejde med motorinstallation, først i ældre fiskerbåde og senere, efter at benzinmotoren havde vundet indpas, i små joller. Arbejdet med dette har lagt megen beslag på hans tid, og da der også har været forholdsvis store reparationsarbejder, idet der blev foretaget forhøjelser, lagt nyt dæk og lavet opstående på flere ældre fiskebåde, har der langtfra været mangel på arbejde på pladsen.

The number of new buildings in recent years is not as large as before, but from 1914 father has had work in the autumn for Sakskøbing sugar factory, first as a sampler and later as a weigher on Fejø from mid-September to Christmas. In 1920 he bought a band saw, and over the years he has cut a lot of firewood for the island’s inhabitants. Occasionally he made fruit boxes for the ever-growing fruit exports from Fejø. At the same time, there was not so little work with engine installation, first in older fishing boats and later, after the petrol engine had gained ground, in small dinghies. The work on this has taken up a lot of his time, and since there has also been relatively large repair work, as elevations [improvements]¹ were made, new decks were laid and several older fishing boats were made upright, there has been far from a shortage of work on the site.

I 1930 blev der, da også det gamle værksted var blevet skrøbeligt, bygget et nyt over det gamle; det blev opført højere, så bådene kunne bygges færdige med styrehus indendørs, og gulvarealet blev også lidt større, nemlig 16-1/2 x 11-1/2 alen. Under de skiftende forhold har det da også gjort god fyldest.

In 1930, when the old workshop had also become fragile, a new one was built over the old one; it was built higher so that the boats could be built finished with a wheelhouse indoors, and the floor area was also slightly larger, namely 34 x 23-1/ 2 feet. Under the changing conditions, it has also done well.

Den sidste båd byggede far 1949, og da han nu selv også var kommet godt op i årene, har han derefter ikke været interesseret i større bestillinger, men vil helst have lidt motorarbejde og bygge en enkelt mindre jolle og nogle pramme ind imellem. Han har siden 1917 bygget 16 både og større joller, 46 joller fra 7 til 18 fod og ca. 75 pramme fra 10 til 18 fod. Trods sine 75 år arbejder han stadig og har for tiden bestilling på et par mindre joller og en pram.

The last boat was built by father in 1949, and now that he himself has come up well in years, he has not been interested in larger orders since then, but would rather have a little engine work and build a single smaller dinghy and some barges in between. Since 1917 he has built 16 boats and larger dinghies, 46 dinghies from 7 to 18 feet and approx. 75 barges from 10 to 18 feet. Despite his 75 years, he is still working and currently has orders for a few smaller dinghies and a barge.

Forfatterens efterskrift

Selv begyndte jeg, der er født på Fejø 4. febr. 1914, som bådebygger sommeren 1928 efter at være blevet konfirmeret. De to første år lærte jeg hjemme, men kom så hen hos den unge bådebygger Emanuel Mortensen, søn af den omtalte Chr. Mortensen. Han havde begyndt med lidt større bådebyggeri på havnens østre side. Jeg var dér fra 1930 til 1934 i september og fik mit lærebrev hos ham. Mortensen har videreført de gamle traditioner med godt arbejde, og jeg fik en god lære hos ham. Derefter var jeg kortere tid på Nakskov skibsværft og på Langø bådebyggeri i Nakskov fjord, hvorpå jeg var hjemme et par år indtil 1937, da jeg for at fuldføre min tekniske skole tog arbejde på Helsingør skibsværft. Om aftenen fik jeg her nogen privatundervisning i praktisk skibskonstruktion hos ingeniør Knud E. Hansen, Handels- og Søfartsmuseets skibstekniske konsulent (død 1960), og i teoretisk hos ingeniør C. J. Holck (død 1952). I Helsingør kom jeg i forbindelse med Handels- og
Søfartsmuseet og fik af dettes chef, museumsdirektør Knud Klem, bestilling på min første model, af Fejø drivkvasen „De 13 Søskende”, og derpå af tyskekvasen „Minna”. Jeg havde i forvejen interesseret mig for modelarbejde og havde også udført forskellige små modeller. Jeg byggede så modeller i de følgende år i den kolde tid, og når der var rnindre med arbejde på bådebyggeriet. På foranledning af direktør Knud Klem foretog jeg i de følgende mange somre rejser langs de danske kyster for at foretage opmålinger af lokale småskibstyper (se herom museets årbog 1958, 54 ff.). Da der i 1953 blev en mulighed for at blive konservator og modelbygger ved Søfartsmuseet, svigtede jeg det gamle bådebyggeri og blev ansat ved museet.

Author’s postscript

I myself, who was born on Fejø on February 4, 1914, started as a boat builder in the summer of 1928 after being confirmed. The first two years I studied at home, but then came to the young boat builder Emanuel Mortensen, son of the aforementioned Chr. Mortensen. He had begun with slightly larger boat construction on the east side of the harbor. I was there from 1930 to 1934 in September and got my apprenticeship from him. Mortensen has continued the old traditions with good work, and I got a good lesson [learned well] from him.After that I was for a shorter time at Nakskov shipyard and at Langø boat building in Nakskov fjord, where I was at home for a few years until 1937, when I took a job at Helsingør shipyard to complete my technical school. In the evening, I received some private lessons in practical ship construction from engineer Knud E. Hansen, the Trade and Maritime Museum’s ship technical consultant (died 1960), and in theory from engineer C. J. Holck (died 1952). In Elsinore I came in connection with the Trade and Maritime Museum and received an order for my first model from its boss, museum director Knud Klem, for the Fejø drifter “The 13 Siblings”, and then for the German drifter “Minna”. I had already been interested in modeling and had also constructed various small models. I then built models in the following years in the cold weather, and when there was less work on the boat building. At the instigation of director Knud Klem, I made trips along the Danish coasts for the following many summers to make measurements of local small ship types (see the museum’s yearbook 1958, 54 ff.). When in 1953 there was an opportunity to become a conservator and model builder at the Maritime Museum, I failed [abandoned]¹ the old boatyard and was hired by the museum.

Bådebyggeriet har nu i 1961 bestået på samme plads siden 1878, altså ialt 84 år, og i denne tid er der ialt udgået fra det et byggeantal på ca. 340 større og mindre fartøjer. Af størst interesse blandt disse er og bliver de 40 Fejø-drivkvaser, som jeg her har skildret med større udførlighed

The boat building has now in 1961 existed in the same place since 1878, i.e. a total of 84 years, and during this time a total of approximately 340 larger and smaller vessels have been built. Of greatest interest among these are, and will be, the 40 Fejø drifters, which I have described here with greater detail.

Det ser ud til, at det af bedstefar grundlagte bådebyggeri vil ophøre med min far. Jeg er glad for, at jeg har kunnet riste det og min far og bedstefar en rune her.

It looks like Grandpa’s boat building business will end with my dad. I’m glad I’ve been able to carve it [the business] and my dad and grandpa a rune¹ here.

Kilderne til ovenstående har hovedsagelig været mundtlige beretninger og familietraditioner, som jeg har hørt og været fortrolig med lige siden min barndom, og som jeg senere har suppleret, bl. a. under mine opmålingsrejser for Handels- og Søfartsmuseet. Særlig hjælp har jeg fået af de hjemlige fiskere på Fejø. I særlig grad takker jeg min far, Carl Nielsen, og min onkel, urmager Viggo Nielsen, Fejø, for oplysninger. Jeg har drøftet indholdet med dem under nedskrivningen. Af skriftlige kilder foreligger næsten intet. Jeg har brugt de ret fåtallige breve og regnskaber, som opbevares i familien. På Rigsarkivet er gennemgået Skibsregistreringsbureauets protokoller : Fortegnelse over danske Fartøjer under 20 Tons Brutto (ført fra 1894)

The sources for the above have mainly been oral accounts and family traditions, which I have heard and been familiar with since my childhood, and which I have later supplemented, among other things, during my survey trips for the Trade and Maritime Museum. I have received special help from the local fishermen on Fejø. In particular, I thank my father, Carl Nielsen, and my uncle, watchmaker Viggo Nielsen, Fejø, for information. I have discussed the content with them while writing. Of written sources almost nothing is available. I have used the rather few letters and accounts that are kept in the family. The National Archives’s have reviewed the Ship Registration Bureau’s protocols: List of Danish Vessels under 20 Tons Gross (kept from 1894)

BILAG 1

Arbejdstid og priser på bygning af de første åledrivkvaser (I) og de senere fra omkr. 1900 (II).

Annex 1

Working hours and prices for the construction of the first eel drifters (I) and the later ones from around 1900 (II).

BILAG 2

Fortegnelse over de af Chr. Nielsen byggede Fejø-drivkvaser (1894-1914)
(For nøjagtigheden af enkelte årstal kan ikke garanteres).

Annex 2

List of those of Chr. Nielsen built Fejø drift quasars (1894-1914)
(For the accuracy of individual years can not be guaranteed).

BILAG 3

Prøver på breve fra forskellige fiskere til bådebygger Chr. Nielsen, Fejø.

Annex 3

Samples of letters from various fishermen to boat builder Chr. Nielsen, Fejø.

a. fra fisker Jens C. Nielsen, der fik kvase nr. 6:

a. from fisherman Jens C. Nielsen, who got drifter no. 6

Agtrupvig, den 15, juli 96.

C. Nielsen, Fejø.

Jeg modtog Deres brev for en måneds tid siden og så deraf, at De straks begyndte på kvasen. Jeg kan vel så vente, at den kan blive sejlklar til 1.
sept. De har vel bestilt sejlene, og vil De ikke også bestille tovværket hos en af Deres handlende, så at vi kan være sikker på at få det, når vi skal bruge det. Vi ønsker stålvanter og -stag. Hovedårsagen hvorfor jeg skriver er ellers, at en af vore naboer, en fisker N. Holm, gerne ville vide, om De havde bestilling på nogen at bygge i vinter, ellers ønsker han en på samme størrelse. Hvis De kan bygge den, så kommer han med over efter den her. Han har en nu, men den er 40 år gammel og rådden. Han var derovre i juni at fiske og så den, De havde bygget for Jens Peter (Jensen), men han fik ikke tid til at komme i land og se den, De byggede for os. Mads Strandby taler også om at sælge sin kvase og have en bygget af Dem, så jeg tror, at De kan få endda noget arbejde herfra. Hvis De kan bygge en for N. Holm inden i.juni 97, vil De så ikke skrive til ham og holde bestillingen åben en kort tid, til han kommer hjem fra Svendborgsund, hvor han fisker nu. De hjælper os vel at rigge til, når vi kommer derover. Hvis De ønsker penge, så skriv bare, og De skal få dem.
Venlig hilsen til Dem og familie,

Jens C. Nielsen,
Agtrupvig,
Kolding

Agtrupvig, 15, July 96.

C. Nielsen, Fejø.

I received your letter a month ago and saw that you immediately started on the drifter. I can probably wait for it to be ready for sailing until 1 September. You have probably ordered the sails, and you will not [will you not]¹ also order the rope from one of your traders, so that we can be sure to get it when we need it.[?]¹ We want steel gloves [shrouds]² and stays. Otherwise, the main reason why I am writing is that one of our neighbors, a fisherman N. Holm, would like to know if you had an order for someone to build this winter, otherwise he wants one of the same size. If you can build it, he’ll come over after this one. He has one now, but it’s 40 years old and rotten. He was over there in June fishing and saw the one you had built for Jens Peter (Jensen), but he did not have time to come ashore and see the one you built for us. Mads Strandby is also talking about selling his drifter and having one built by you, so I think you can even get some work from here. If you can build one for N. Holm before June 97, will you not write to him and keep the order open for a short time until he comes home from Svendborgsund, where he is fishing now? They will probably help us to rig when we get over there. If you want money, just write and you will get it.
Kind regards to you and family,

Jens C. Nielsen,
Agtrupvig,
Kolding

fra fisker Ole Strandby, der fik kvase nr. 10:

from fisherman Ole Strandby, who got drifter no. 10:

Hou, d. 1. august 1897.

Gode ven!
Sidste gang jeg var på Fejø, traf det jo så uheldigt, jeg ikke traf dig hjemme, hvorfor jeg tillader mig at skrive Dem et par ord til. Jeg takker for Deres venlige modtagelse pinsedag; jeg beder Dem derfor hilse hele familien. Det, jeg nærmest vil bede Dem om, er, da der ikke er aftalt nogen bestemt tid at få kvasen færdig i foråret, ville det være mig en glæde, om vi kunne bestemme det til 15. april. Det er jo en travl tid for os om foråret, kunne den derfor blive lidt tidlig færdig, gjorde De mig jo en stor tjeneste. Jeg hørte jo på Dem, gode ven, at De skulle lægge på modellen, da de sidste, De byggede, var nok så flade i bunden som Jens Nielsens. Skulle den ny, De bygger til mig, komme til at stikke lidt mindre i vandet, gør det jo ikke noget, blot de ellers beholder deres smukke facon og sejlads. Jens Nielsens fisker og driver helt godt. Vi har fulgtes ad i sommer, så han får sig jo rigtig set om og fisker også helt godt. Vi ligger for tiden omkring ved Endelave og fisker efter de hersens langhaler. Jeg har været hjemme for en fjorten dage siden, og de var Gudskelov raske. Det samme gode håber jeg også at høre fra Dem. De kan jo altid med tiden skrive mig et par ord til. Det er jo altid kærkomment. Lev nu vel, gode ven, og venlig hilsen sendes Dem fra

Ole J. Strandby,
Agtrupskov,
pr. Kolding.

De skriver mig måske til et par ord, inden De rejser til København i efteråret, thi kunne der købes en 15 eller 20 favne af det her krankæde, ligesom J. Nielsen fik, eller lidt klejnere, var det jo en stor besparelse.

Hou, August 1, 1897.

Good friend!
The last time I was on Fejø, it was so unfortunate, I did not meet you at home, why I allow myself to write you a few more words. Thank you for your kind reception [on]Pentecost; I therefore ask you to greet the whole family. What I would most like to ask of you is, as no specific time has been agreed to have the drifter completed in the spring, it would be a pleasure for me if we could set it for 15 April. It’s a busy time for us in the spring, so if it could be finished a little early, you would do me a big favor. I heard from you, good friend, that you should put on the model, as the last ones you built were probably as flat at the bottom as Jens Nielsen’s. Should the new one you are building for me stick [draw]¹ a little less in the water, it does not matter, as long as they otherwise retain their beautiful shape and sailing. Jens Nielsen fishes and drifts very well. We have been following each other this summer, so he really takes care of himself and also fishes very well. We are currently lying around at Endelave and fishing for the gentlemen’s long tails [“long tails”]². I’ve been home a fortnight ago and they were thankfully healthy. I hope to hear the same good from you. They can always write me a few more words in time. It is always welcome. Long live now, good friend, and kind regards are sent to you from

Ole J. Strandby,
Agtrupskov,
pr. Kolding.

You might write me a few words before you travel to Copenhagen in
autumn, for 15 or 20 fathoms of this crane chain could be bought,
just as J. Nielsen got, or a little smaller, it was a big saving.

fra samme:

from the same:

Gode ven med familie !

Jeg takker Dem på det venligste for Deres tilsendte skrivelse. Det glæder mig tillige at høre, at Deres kvaser har klaret sig så godt ved kapsejladserne, det er jo morsomt for Dem og fisker J. P. Jensen, Askø. Jeg beder hilse og gratulere ham også fra mig, når De træffer ham. Håber for mig, at De lover mig og gør Deres bedste for at skaffe mig en god kvase; jeg fik ikke solgt min. Når jeg lige har set Deres type, synes jeg virkelig, der er løst en stor opgave med de her træsænkesværd. Jeg håber nok, gode ven, De sætter mig kvasen af gode materialer, og De samler sagtens plankerne på tømmeret, da det er så slemt til at rådne under lapperne, og hvis De godhedsfuldt vil tage og runde underkanten af plankerne med en stafhøvl. Undskyld min frie skrivemåde, men min broder er en hård kritiker. Om alt går vel, håber jeg nok, han vil komme til at respektere Deres både. Jens Nielsens sværddam er 4 fod 9 tommer, jeg ønskede jo 4 fod agten, fordelt i to damme, ligesom den forreste, så hele dammens længde bliver jo 9 fod, endestykkerne iberegnet, 15 tommer dyb for og 14 agter. Såvidt jeg husker står det sådan på papiret, De fik hos mig. Skulle der være et eller andet, vi siden kunne tale om, skal det være mig en glæde at svare. Ønsker De nogle penge sendt, når De begynder på kvasen, står de til tjeneste. Sejltegningen håber jeg også De hen i vinteren vil sende mig. Kommer De ikke til København, kan man måske få noget med paketterne, eller måske jeg selv kan komme der. Vi vil nu først og sidst bede til et godt helbred. Da der må falde en del helt tynde brædder fra, kunne De muligvis bygge mig en lille bitte jolle, bygget på en planke i bunden, noget lignende kvasens facon, til at sætte på kant i kvasen, beregnet til at bære godt 2 mand. De kan måske skrive til mig, om der kan blive plads til sådan en lille en, og hvor meget den skal koste, hvis De kan få tid. Der vil jo ikke blive ret megen plads indenbords efter dækkets størrelse, som De jo ved besked om. Lev nu vel, og mange venlige hilsner sendes Dem og familie fra

Ole J. Strandby,
Agtrupskov
pr. Kolding

Good friend with family!

Thank you very much for your letter. I am also pleased to hear that your drifters have done so well in the races, it is fun for you and fisherman J. P. Jensen, Askø. Also greet and congratulate him from me when you see him. Hope for me [I hope] that you promise me and do your best to get me a good drifter; I did not sell mine. When I’ve just seen your type, I really think a big task has been solved with these wooden sinking swords [centerboards]¹. Excuse my free writing, but my brother is a harsh critic. If all goes well, I hope he will respect your boats. I hope you, good friend, you put [set up for]² me the drifter of good materials, and you easily assemble the planks on the timber, as it is so bad to rot under the patches [butt blocks]³, and if you will, kindly take and round the bottom edge of the planks with a planer. Jens Nielsen’s sword pond is 4 feet 9 inches, I wanted 4 feet aft, divided into two ponds, just like the front one, so the entire length of the pond will be 9 feet, the end pieces included, 15 inches deep in front and 14 aft. As far as I remember, it’s written on the paper you got from me. Should there be anything we could later talk about, it should be my pleasure to answer. If you want some money sent when you start on the drifter, they are at your service. I also hope you will send me the sailing drawing this winter. If you do not come to Copenhagen, you may be able to get something with the packages, or maybe I can get there myself. We will now first and foremost pray for good health. Since a lot of very thin boards have to fall off, you could possibly build me a small tiny dinghy, built on a plank at the bottom, something similar to the shape of the drifter, to be put on the edge of the drifter, intended to carry a good 2 men. Maybe you can write to me if there can be room for such a small one and how much it will cost if you can have time. There will not be much space inside on board according to the size of the deck, as you know. Live well now and many kind greetings are sent to you and family from

Ole J. Strandby,
Agtrupskov
pr. Kolding

fra fisker Chr. Christiansen, Skrillinge Strand (Middelfart), der fik kvase nr. 24:

from fisherman Chr. Christiansen, Skrillinge Strand (Middelfart), who got kvass no. 24:

Skrillinge Strand 30/12 1904

Gode ven!
Nu vil jeg ved det gamle års slutning sende en venlig hilsen til dig og din familie og sige tak for det forløbne år, i hvilket jeg dog endelig nåede at få en båd ved dig, som du jo ved jeg er rigtig godt tilfreds med. Den står nu på land, men gjorde sit kram godt i de 2-1/2 måned, jeg brugte den i sommer. Jeg fiskede for 1057 kr. Vinterfiskeriet har også gået rigtig godt. Vi har endnu 3 bundgarn i vandet. Nu vil jeg slutte med mange venlige hilsner, håbende at de få ord finder dig rask og i bedste velgående, og et godt nyår ønskes dig og familie.

Christian.

Skrillinge Strand 30/12 1904

Good friend!
Now, at the end of the old year, I would like to send a friendly greeting to you and your family and say thank you for the past year, in which I finally managed to get a boat from you, which you know I am really well satisfied with. It is now on land, but did its stuff well in the 2-1/2 months I used it this summer. I fished for DKK 1,057. The winter fishing has also gone really well. We still have 3 bottom nets [pound nets]¹ in the water. Now I want to end with many kind regards, hoping that the few words will find you healthy and in the best of health, and a happy new year to you and family.

Christian.

(Brevenes retskrivning er normaliseret. De i brevene nævnte fiskere kan findes i listen over de byggede kvaser).

(The spelling of the letters is normalized. The fishermen mentioned in the letters can be found in the list of the built quasars).