At 7 am this morning (tuesday) I woke up on a wharf on Bragdøya Coastal Heritage Centre near Kristianssand. Above me, rainfilled clouds. Below me, a damp gangway. I am wet and exhausted. I stand up, an right before me I see two employees from the Coastal Heritage Centre.
Their names are Håkon Danielsen and Willy Pedersen and as time will tell, they are a godsend.
They ask me, if I am one of the crewmembers on "the pretty little rowing boat" docked on the the wharf? And was it a tough trip across The Skagerak? I confirm with with a nod and a short 'yes'.
I must have looked awful, and the two brave norwegians swiftly unlocked the beautiful red building called "saltebua". In this building the local fishermen used to salt their mackerels. Today it is the heart of a unique centre of knowledge and teaching on Bragdøya. A centre that communicates knowledge about the coastal culture of Norway in general and of Bragdøya in particular.
In no time Håkon and Willy conjured up a pot of coffee, and lit a fire in the fireplace. And I was invited inside.
Immediately I felt better. It felt like a bit of heaven after a day and a half in the rain and heavy breeze. I told them about our hardship in the Skagerak last night. And they replyed that it actually was unusually hard weather for the season in this region.
While I was warming my backside halfway into the fireplace, my rescuers told me about the centre and all the work done there since 1986. Bragdøya was for decades after 1952 an unpopulated island. The vegetation was growing untouched of human hands and the buildings on the island and in the small fishing village was in decay. It was discussed to tear all the buildings down, when a group of local enthusiasts desided to take action and renovate all the buildings.
Their work turned out to be a great succes with renovated buildings and fine exhibitions. And besides all that the guests of the centre can enjoy more than twenty beautiful wooden boats.
Unfortunately the Bragdøya Cultural Heritage Centre is suffering a lack of funding from authorities. Some of the same problems which are the reality for many maritime museums.
On the other hand, Håkon and Willy told, there is a steady flow of money to the learning and teaching of the farming culture in Norway. The reason could be that the politicians of Norway mainly come from inside the country and not from the coasts of Norway. That was their guess, anyway.
By that time Solvej - one of the two stewards on the ship - dropped in. Just as wet and tired as I had been a moment ago. The warm fire and a cup of coffee had the same magic effect on her as on me.
And there was no end to the hospitality of Bragdøya. Free showers for the intire crew, and a loan of a car to the mainland enabled the stewards to supply the ship with a grand breakfast with bread, butter, cheese, nutella, juice and yoghurt. And now we can write you readers from their warm office about this great place on earth.
Even the weathergods are with us today. The sun is shining and there is a light breeze, so the harbour of Bragdøya lookes a bit like a gipsy camp, now that 65 people are drying all of their outfit.
And also the Sea Stallion itself is put up to dry. -or some of it is. The sail and part of the rigging. The plan is to spent another night at Bragdøya, and tomorrow morning we are sailing on a mission. But for now it is a secret mission..
MT