Hand-crafted wooden boats from Nõva

Oct 23, 2020 Estonian Life No. 43 2020

Building a sea-worthy vessel requires a good sense of humour, because you never know what might come your way in the process. You might meticulously steam and bend a wooden bow for the frame of your spiffy new boat, put it in place, and then *snap*, your hard work has split in two. Paadimeister (boat master) Anti Kreem of MTÜ Eesti Viikingid (Estonian Vikings) believes you wouldn't accomplish anything if you took it too seriously.

There is a palpable team spirit involved in the building of these boats, too. In 2011, Kreem collaborated with MTÜ NordEstNõva, whose motto is “Ühtususes peitub jõud” (“there is strength in unity”). In fact, because Eesti Viikingid and NordEstNõva are non-profit organizations, it has become a very community-based endeavour. The Viking boats they have made are part of a broader mission to enrich Nordic communities through involvement in hands-on activities, of which boat-building is one part.

It was in the autumn of 2005 that Norwegians from the town of Risør visited Nõva,…

Written by Vincent Teetsov, Toronto