HaapioThe One-Log Boat

To the readerThis teaching material of one-log boat you have got in your hands has been produced by theHANDISCOLA – project that was approved into the Socrates/Grundtvig 1 Programme fundedby the European Union. The material is a result of the co-operation between the representativesof five countries participating in the project. The main responsibility for collecting the materialhad the Estonian participant. The material has been tested in pilot courses and handicraft teachersand researchers have expressed their expert opinions on it. I would like to thank all our externalexperts for their help.

Altogether ten teaching materials in six languages have been produced in HANDISCOLA –project. The languages are English, Estonian, Greek, Finnish, Hungarian and Latvian. The themesare ceramics, bookbinding, naalbinding, (needle looping) one-log boat, woodcarving, ribbonweaving, rug weaving and birch bark work. Four seminars were arranged during the project andmore material about the European handicraft tradition can be found in the reports made fromthese seminars. Most of the material is seen at the internet address: http://www.kuusankoski.fi/palvelut/opetustoimi/koulujen-sivut/tvop/Handiscola/index.html

“HANDISCOLA –handicraft is common language” –project started at the end of the year 2001and it ends in the beginning of October 2003. The aim of the project is to enhance the commonEuropean knowledge of handicraft tradition. Another aim is to preserve old traditions and totransmit them to new users. In the seminars during this project the participants have had a chanceto get acquainted with the partners’ activities. In the work shops they have put the method “learningby doing” in practice and tested the name of the project “handicraft is common language” –words are not necessarily needed.

The partners of the HANDISCOLA –project are :

Adult Education Centre of Kuusankoski, Finland (Co-ordinator)Adult Education Centre and Folk High School of Kymenlaakso, Anjalankoski, FinlandRääma Noorte Ühing “Noorus”, Pärnu, EstoniaPärnu Kutse ppekeskus, Pärnu, EstoniaLatgales Amatniec bas Meistaru Skola, Berzgale, LatviaPetöfi Kulturális KHT, Orosháza, HungaryEuropean Perspective and Development Center, Athens, Greeceand its co-partnerComission of Popular Education of Pieria, Katerini, Greece

We hope that this teaching material would serve the needs of adult education in various countriesamong handicraft professionals and amateurs. We believe that the material gives stimuli to teachersand instructors to arrange courses and background information and concrete instructions to asingle learner to make the product presented in the book.

Miikka Rikala Seppo TahvanainenCoordinator Editor

The One-Log Boat

Introduction

The one-log boat hollowed out of aspen isconsidered the oldest Finno-Ugric tribal boatand the precursor of the modern small boat.Our ancestors used the one-log boat when theymoved to their present living areas. One-logboats were made in Finland and Latvia, too.There were some differences in the buildingtraditions and shapes of the boats.

The one-log boat is 5-6 metres long and aboutone metre wide, very light and fast. The useand building of one-log boats were widelyspread in the end of the 19th century. Accordingto folk tales one-log boats were build wherethere were a lot of trees, water and men.

In Estonia there were such areas between Pärnuand Viljandi, in Soomaa, which in Estonianmeans “the Land of the Bog”. Soomaa is awaterlogged area with floods in the spring andautumn and which according to the locals hasfive seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winterand flood. The one-log boat was used in riverareas and during the spring floods for travellingfrom farm to farm and for housework. It wasalso used for fishing, hunting and fun. (Picture1)

Tools

Measuring instrumentsTape measureLevelSawPower sawAxesHollowing axePlaneHammerDrillBorer

Methods and phases of work

How to choose an aspen

The most appropriate trees in Estonia are aspen(Populus termula) and lime-tree (Tilia cordata).Most one-log boats are made of aspen. Aspensmust have straight annual rings and they mustbe slim and without decay and branches. Anaspen that grows near open fields, rivers andmeadows where the land is strong, is easy toprocess. The tree must be lush, have a lightbark and the crown must grow as high aspossible.

Felling a tree

The right time to fell a tree is late autumn/earlywinter when the tree is resting and the cell sapdoes not circulate. In order to make awaterproof boat it is important to choose theright phase of the moon and to check the winddirection. The most appropriate time is whenthe wind blows strongly from northwest, northor east, and the tree must be felled against thewind. It was believed to protect the boat fromrotting. If the tree fell far from the stump itwas supposed to make a fast boat.

The aspen was felled in the winter but thebuilding started in the spring. Our ancestorsstarted building the boat in the forest or theybrought the tree home with horses. It was alsocommon to float the trees.

Stripping the bark from a tree

After the trunk was cut about 5-6 metres longit was lifted on blocks of wood so that it waseasier to handle while working on it. After thebark was removed the knots were visible.(Pictures 2-3)

Shaping the bottom and the outersides

When the bark is removed the shaping canbegin. At first it must be visually estimatedwhich is the most appropriate side for thebottom. The decision is based on the curvingof the trunk. There should not be any knots onthe boards because the bending of the boardscreates tension which can cause cracks.

The stern and the bow are shaped cigar-like,very slim and streamlined. When shaping thestern and the bow, the ends are leftunprocessed. They are not sawn off until thenext year when the work continues after theboat has dried. Earlier wooden hoops were tiedaround the ends, nowadays they are metal.Finally the outer surface is planed. The shapeof the one-log boat determines how well andfast it moves. (Pictures 4-7)

Hollowing the inside

Carpentry tools and hollowing axes are usedfor this phase, nowadays even power saws. Atfirst both ends are hollowed out and then the

parts which are not widened. This must be donevery carefully in order to avoid cracks.

The most difficult task is the hollowing of thecentre part. When the hollowed-out part is bigenough wooden blocks are put between theboards to widen them. For attaching the ribsyou must leave juts inside the boat about onemetre apart each other. (Pictures 8-10)

Measuring the thickness of the boards

The boards must be hollowed out as evenlythick as possible. This is achieved by thefollowing process: 2-3 centimetres deep holesare drilled in the outer side of the boat. Theright thickness is achieved when the holesbecome visible when hollowing out the inside.Also an awl can be used in measuring thethickness. When two holes are visible thesurface between them smoothed down. Theholes are filled with plugs made of stubs.

Widening the one-log boat

It is a very demanding task to widen the boardsin order to increase the space and to achievethe right shape. The one-log boat is put on twologs. Then fires are made on both sides of theboat about one metre from the boat. A lot ofhot water is poured in the boat to keep the sideswet.

When the boards are soft enough they are bentwider with the help of alder sticks. Thewidening continues by using longer and longersticks, until the right shape has been achieved.(Pictures 11-13)

Making and attaching the ribs

When the right shape is achieved the ribs areattached. The ribs are made of naturallycrooked roots and attached to the juts left insidethe boat. The number of the ribs depends onthe length of the boat. They are usually onemetre apart each other. (Pictures 14-16)

Finishing the boat

Usually the boat is left to dry in the wind for ayear. After that the stern and the bow arefinished. Metal is used for protecting the bowfrom ice and stones. Earlier the hoop was madeof oak. Before launching the boat is tarred twoor three times. (Pictures 17-18)

Boating

The boat is driven with a 2-3 metres longpaddle. The paddle blade is thin and about ahalf of the total length of the paddle. There isa handle at the end of paddle. There are noseats in the boat so men are standing whileboating. When you go fishing you can putsome hay or a loose board on the bottom ofthe boat.(Picture 19)

References

Koivusalo, Fredrik: Äspingen, Yliopistopaino,Vaasa 2002www.soomaa.com/haabjas.html

Haapion tekoyhdest puusta

Johdanto

Haapapuusta koverretun yksipuisen veneen l.haapion arvellaan olevan vanhin suomalais-ugrilaisen heimon vene ja nykyisen pikkuve-neen esimuoto. Esi-is t k yttiv t haapiota siir-tyess n nykyisille asuinalueilleen. Haapioitavalmistettiin Viron lis ksi my s Suomessa jaLatviassa. Veneen valmistuksessa ja muodos-sa oli joitakin eroavuuksia verrattuna virolai-seen haapioon.

Haapio on 5-6 metri pitk ja noin metrin le-vyinen, kevyt ja veden p ll nopeasti liikku-va vene. Haapion k ytt ja valmistustaito olilaajalle levinnyt viel 1800-luvun lopulla.Kansantarinat kertovat, ett haapio valmistet-tiin siell , miss oli paljon vett , puita ja mie-hi .

Virossa sellaisia alueita oli P rnun ja Viljandinv limaastossa, Soomaalla, joka tarkoittaa vironkieless Turpeen Maa . Somaa on vetinen,kev isin ja syksyin tulviva alue, miss paikal-liset ihmiset sanovat olevan viisi vuodenaikaa:kev t, kes , syksy, talvi ja tulva-aika. Haapiotak ytettiin jokialueilla ja kev ttulvien aikaankulkemiseen talosta toiseen ja kotit ihin. Sitk ytettiin my s kalastuksessa ja mets styk-sess sek huvittelussa. (Kuva 1)

Veneen valmistuksessa tarvittavat ty kalut

Mittav lineitVesivaakaSahaMoottorisahaKirveitKoverruskirvesH ylVasaraKairojaPoria

Ty vaiheet ja -menetelm t

Haavan valinta

Virossa kasvavista puista sopivimpia ventekoon ovat haapa (Populus termula) ja ms lehmus (Tilia cordata). Useimmat haapiot otehty haavasta. Puissa tulee olla suoratniiden tulee olla solakoita, oksattomilahoviattomia. Helposti ty stett v haapavaa avointen peltojen, jokien ja niittyjnalla vahvassa maassa. Puun tulee olrehev kasvuinen, vaaleakuorinen ja latvasien tulee kasvaa mahdollisimman korkeal

Puun kaataminen

Oikea aika puun kaadolle on syystalvi, jopuu lep ja sen solunesteet eiv t kierrkauden oikean ajankohdan valinta sek tlen suunnan huomioiminen on t rke , josaadaan vuotamaton vene. Sopivin ajankohon laskevan kuun aika ja tuulen tulee puhvoimakkaasti luoteesta, pohjoisesta tai ija puu tulee kaataa tuulta vasten. Uskottise suojeli venett lahoamasta, ja kun se kauas kannosta siit tuli nopea vene.

Haapa kaadettiin talvella, mutta veneen val-mistus alkoi kev ll . Esi-is t aloittivat veneenteon mets ss tai he kuljettivat puun kotiinhevosilla. Yleist oli my s puun uittaminen.

Puun kuoriminen

Kun runko on katkaistu 5-6 metrin pituiseksise nostetaan p lkkyjen p lle, jotta sit onhelpompi k nnell ty skentelyn aikana. Kunkuori on poistettu voidaan n hd oksakohdat.(Kuvat 2-3)

Haapion pohjan ja ulkosivujen teke-minen

Kuoren poiston j lkeen veneelle voidaan an-taa muoto. Ensin on silm m r isesti l ydet-t v sopivin kylki pohjaksi. Se mik kylki va-litaan, riippuu rungon taipumisesta. Oksakoh-tia ei saisi j d veneen kylkiin, sill reunojataivutettaessa syntyy j nnitett , joka voi aihe-uttaa halkeamia.

Veneen per ja keula muotoillaan sikarin mal-liseksi, kapeaksi ja virtaviivaiseksi. Kun pe-r ja keulaa muotoillaan j tet n rungon mo-lempiin p ihin k sittelem tt m t osat, jotkaleikataan pois vasta seuraavana vuonna kunveneen ty st mist jatketaan sen kuivumisenj lkeen. Aiemmin n iden osien ymp ri sidot-tiin puiset vanteet, nykyisen ne ovat metallis-ta. Lopuksi ulkopinta h yl t n. Veneen muotovaikuttaa siihen, miten hyvin ja nopeasti veneliikkuu. (Kuvat 4-7)

Sis puolen kovertaminen

T h n ty h n k ytet n puusep n ty kaluja,koverruskirvett ja nykyisin moottorisahaakin.Ensin koverretaan molemmat p t ja sitten ne

osat, joita ei levitet . Ty t ytyy tehd eritt inhuolellisesti, jotta ei synny halkeamia.

Vaikein ty on keskikohdan kovertaminenKun koverrus on riitt v n suuri sen j llaitetaan puisia palikoita veneen reunojliin niiden levitt miseksi. Kaarten kiinvarten sis puolelle j tet n korvakkeet metrin v lein. (Kuvat 8-10)

Reunojen paksuuden mittaaminen

Reunat t ytyy kovertaa mahdollisimmantasapaksuiksi. Jotta siihen p st n k yseuraavaa menettely : Veneen ulkopuolelleporataan 2-3 cm syvi reiki . Oikea pakson saavutettu, kun sis puolta koverrettrei t tulevat n kyviin. Paksuuden mittaamsa voidaan k ytt my s naskalia. Kun kareik on n kyviss tasoitetaan niiden vpinta. Rei t t ytet n tapeilla, jotka ooksantyngist .

Haapion levent minen

Reunojen taivuttaminen veneen sis tilavuulis miseksi ja oikean muodon aikaansaamseksi on erityist taitoa vaativaa ty t .nostetaan kahden tukin p lle. Sitten tetulet metrin p h n veneen kyljist . Veneensis lle kaadetaan runsaasti kuumaa vett ,pit kyljet kosteina.

Kun kyljet ovat tarpeeksi pehmeit niittaan taivuttaa leve mm lle lepp keppien ala. Levityst jatketaan k ytt m ll yh ppi keppej , kunnes oikea muoto on saavuttu. (Kuvat 11-13)

Kaarten valmistus ja kiinnitt minen

Kun vene on saavuttanut oikean muodon kiin-nitet n kaaret. Kaaret tehd n luonnonv -rist kuusen juurista ja kiinnitet n sis puo-lelle j tettyihin korvakkeisiin. Kaarten m rriippuu veneen pituudesta. Tavallisesti niit onmetrin v lein.(Kuvat 14-16)

Haapion viimeistely

Valmis vene j tet n tavallisesti kuivumaantuulelle alttiiksi vuoden ajaksi. Sen j lkeenviimeistell n keula ja per . Veneen keula vah-vistetaan metallilla j n ja kivien varalta, ai-kaisemmin k ytettiin tammea. Ennen kuinvene lasketaan vesille se tervataan kaksi taikolme kertaa. (Kuvat 17-18)

Liikkuminen

Venett kuljetetaan 2-3 metri pitk ll mMelan lapa on ohut ja sen pituus noin pukoko pituudesta. Toisessa p ss on k densi-ja. Veneess ei ole istuimia vaan miehet sevat meloessaan. Kun kalastetaan pohjalletetaan heini tai irrallinen lankunp tk(Kuva19)

L hteet

Koivusalo, Fredrik: spingen, Yliopistopaino,Vaasa 2002www .soomaa.com/haabjas.html

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