easter marks the start of boat season

toward the end of a long cold winter, Easter is a most welcome 5 day weekend in Norway. many Norwegians head for the mountains to enjoy skiing in the warming sun.

) but here along the south coast it is the start of boat season. for centuries when winter wanes,

wooden boats have been prepared for the coming summer

and there is a lot of work to be done on these classic beauties before they go in the water. but it's a labor of love.

some of these boats are over 100 years old but by the time they leave dry dock they shine as if they were brand new

the first boats to go in the sea have been stored indoors for the winter. while this is expensive and requires a lot of space, one big advantage is that the preparations can be done regardless of the weather outside, so as soon as the worst of winter is over the boats can be launched.

but typically the boats are kept outside by the canal where most of these classics are proudly docked. it's a very social community but of course, there is the element of one-upmanship involved

within weeks both sides of this canal will be lined with these beautifully crafted and maintained vessels

but before that there is plenty of work that needs to be done

both the interior and exterior need to be sanded and varnished or oiled and painted. there can be up to 100 coats of varnish applied to give the boat that extra shine that makes it really stand out

even the sole gets proper care even though it will be covered up by floorboards

the engine requires maintenance as well

as do all moving parts like the rudder and propeller

then there are all the finer details

like the name plate

though it is a lot of work

(check out the guy in blue)

there's always time for a chat and a cup of coffee. lots is going on so it seems chaotic for the moment but before long all these boats will be in the water and the place will be empty.

they just need to put on the finishing touches

i took all these photos last year at Easter with my Lumix FZ300