The Oselvar

The Oselvar boats got their name approximately 250 years ago as the names of the boats that Lars and Jørn Tøsdal built in their boathouse next to the Os River. However, this type of boat and the traditions from Os surrounding the boats are much older. They slowly but surely developed over hundreds of years as use and fishing knowledge evolved. In the 1800s, the Oselvar boats were the dominant boat type among fisherman along the whole coast of Hordaland. As the fishing industry went through major changes at the turn of the century and fishermen began using larger boats with motors, only Os and Strandebarm survived as boat building communities in Hordaland.

The Oselvar boat is a slim rowboat built of thin materials and with only three planks. It is known as a very light, rapid and safe rowboat. The boats are still used for regattas and even boast a Norwegian championship just for Oselvar boats.