Kragejollen Esther-Johanne

Esther-Johanne - a 'kragejolle'

Esther-Johanne is a clinker built 30 foot gaff-rigged double ender (from here on referred to by its Danish name kragejolle) built in 1918 in Hobro for recreational sailing.

She is an example of the great craftsmanship of the master shipbuilder at a small, largely unknown shipyard in Hobro, Denmark. Similar stories can be told of other small shipyards along the Mariager Fjord.

Master shipbuilder was Theodor Fredrik Harder, who had his small shipyard south of Skibsgade directly opposite the Hobro Shipyard offices. The kragejolle was commissioned by Jens Christian Jensen, director of a timber trade business in Hobro, as a replacement for a small, dinghy that he hitherto had used recreationally.

The story of Esther-Johanne also reveals small glimpses of local history of early yachting on the fjord, about the fishing association’s first organised regatta at Hobro in 1912, about the establishment of Hobro Sailing Club in 1935, where Esther-Johanne was involved, and about the “Consul’s Bridge” at Nedre Strandvej in Hobro.

Kragejollen
Esther-Johanne

Esther-Johanne er en gaffelrigget kragejolle bygget i 1918 i Hobro til lystsejlads.

Den er et eksempel på de store håndværksmæssige færdigheder skibsbygmesteren beherskede
på et lille, stort set ukendt værft på Hobro Havn. Noget helt tilsvarende fandtes også
på andre, ligeså ubeskrevne småværfter ud langs Mariager Fjord.

Skibsbygmesteren var Theodor Fredrik Harder, der havde sit lille værft syd for Skibsgade lige over for
kontoret på Hobro Værft. Kragejollen var bestilt af Jens Christian Jensen, direktør for Hobro Tømmerhandel,
som erstatning for en lille sprydstagsrigget jolle, han hidtil havde brugt til lystsejlads.

Til Esther-Johanne hører også små lokalhistoriske glimt af den tidlige lystsejlads på fjorden, om
fiskeriforeningens første organiserede kapsejlads ved Hobro, om oprettelsen af Hobro Sejlklub i 1935 hvor
Esther-Johanne var med, og om ”Konsulens Bro” ved Nedre Strandvej i Hobro.

The kragejolle is a traditional, well-sailing and sea-safe type of boat, used everywhere in Scandinavian coastal waters for fishing, cargo and passenger transport, as a pilot boat and, in the early days of recreational sailing, as a pleasure craft.

In the early 1900s, a number of Danish boat builders developed the various types of double-enders that became classics within Danish recreational sailing .

In December 2021, the Nordic clinker building tradition was inscribed on UNESCO’s list of Intangible World Cultural Heritage.

Kragejollen er oprindeligt et traditionelt brugsfartøj, klinkbygget, sødygtigt og velsejlende. Den blev allerede
fra lystsejladsens tidlige år fra midten af 1800 tallet
også taget i brug som lystfartøj.

Ud fra den traditionelle kragejolle udviklede en række danske bådkonstruktører tidligt i 1900 tallet de forskellige spidsgattertyper, der blev klassikkere i den danske lystfartøjsflåde.

I december 2021 blev den nordiske klinkbygnings-tradition optaget på UNESCOs liste over immateriel verdenskulturarv.

The story of Esther-Johanne

Master Shipbuilder

Marienlund Inn

Esther-Johanne was built by master shipbuilder Theodor Fredrik Harder in a small boatbuilding workshop he ran in the garden of the family’s Marienlund Inn, located just south of Hobro Shipyard.

Harder was born and lived at Marienlund until he was trained as a ship’s carpenter in 1901. He was likely an apprentice to ship’s carpenter V. Eriksen, who was employed at Hobro Harbour, where he supervised the construction of the harbour’s new slipway. As a trained ship’s carpenter, Harder went to sea on long voyages and then worked at Nils Chr. Nilsen’s large cutter shipyard in Frederikshavn.

Marienlund Inn was located behind the ship yard

In 1905, after his father’s death, Harder returned to Hobro to help his mother run the inn. He later established a small boatbuilding shop in the garden of the inn. The first boat we know of from his hand is “Knold”, built in 1912. In 1913, he established himself as a master shipbuilder. Esther was the last boat he built in Hobro. In 1918, Harder moved to Randers, where he established a large shipyard at Randers Harbour. Until 1964, he was active at the shipyard, producing new vessels of all sizes, from cargo ships to dinghies, from larger pleasure craft to canoes, and delivered several ships to Hobro sailors.

Regattas and fishing

Mid July 1912, the Hobro newspaper reported:

“From our office windows yesterday afternoon we enjoyed the sight of shipbuilder Tommerup’s (jun.) manoeuvre in the harbour with his new, fine boat, which was under sail for the first time yesterday. It went very well. And in a garden by the harbour, ship carpenter Harder works every evening on a new boat, which he hopes to have finished by Sunday. They will probably both be entered in the competition.”

– and the day after: Results of the 2nd race: 1.Pr. 1 stor Sølvplade “Anna”, Snedker Weger, Kongsdal 2.Pr. 1 lille do.,”Knold”, Th. Harder, Hobro 3.Pr. 1 lille do., Lodsbaaden, Styrmand Sørensen, Als Odde 4.Pr. 1 lille do., “Ave”, Ingeniør N. Möller, Dania 5.Pr. 1 lille do., “Tulle”, Knud Nielsen, Blåkilde

Gæstgiveriet Marienlund

Esther-Johanne blev bygget af skibsbygmester Theodor Fredrik Harder på et lille bådebyggeri han drev i haven ved familiens gæstgiveri Marienlund, der lå lige syd for Hobro Værft.

Harder var født og boede på Marienlund indtil han i 1901 var udlært som skibstømrer. Det er nærliggende at antage, at han blev udlært hos skibstømrer V. Eriksen, der var ansat ved Hobro Havn hvor han bla. førte tilsyn med anlæggelsen af havnens nye beddingsanlæg. Som udlært skibstømrersvend tog Harder til søs på langfart og arbejdede derefter på Nils Chr. Nilsens store kutterværft i Frederikshavn.

Marienlund lå bag skibsværftet, lige syd for Skibsgade

I 1905 vendte Harder, efter sin fars død, tilbage til Hobro for at hjælpe moderen med driften af gæstgiveriet. Han etablerede senere det lille bådebyggeri i gæstgiveriets have. Den første båd vi kender fra hans værft er ”Knold”, bygget i 1912. I 1913 etablerede han sig som skibsbygmester. Esther blev den sidste båd han byggede i Hobro. I 1918 flyttede Harder til Randers hvor han etablerede sig med et større værft på Randers Havn. Frem til 1964 var han aktiv på værftet og leverede nybygninger i alle størrelser, fra fragtskibe til damjoller, fra større lystfartøjer til kanoer, og leverede flere nybygninger til Hobrosejlere.

Midt i Juli 1912 meddelte Hobro avis:

“Fra vore Kontorvinduer nød vi i Gaar Eftermiddag Synet af Skibsbygger Tommerups (jun.) Manøvre i Havnen med hans ny, lækre Båd, der første gang var under Sejl i Går, gik ganske fortrinligt.
Og inde i en Have ved Havnen slider Skibstømrer Harder hver Aften med en
ny Båd, som han håber at få færdig til Søndag. De kommer antagelig begge
med til Konkurrencen.”

– og dagen efter:

Resultaterne i 2.Løb:
1.Pr. 1 stor Sølvplade “Anna”,
Snedker Weger, Kongsdadl
2.Pr. 1 lille do.,”Knold”,
Th. Harder, Hobro
3.Pr. 1 lille do., Lodsbaaden,
Styrmandd Sörensen, Als Odde
4.Pr. 1 lille do., “Ave”,
Ingeniør N. Möller, Dania.
5.Pr. 1 lille do., “Tulle”,
Knud Nielsen, Blåkilde

Esthers’ blueprints

As measured by September 1970 by Per Jacobsen, sailing school student.

Clinker-built is a method of boat building in which the edges of hull planks overlap each other, as opposed to carvel-built in which they are laid edge to edge and fastened to a robust frame.

Esthers
linjetegninger

Opmålt september 1970 af sejlerskoleelev Per Jacobsen.

Klinkbyggede fartøjer bygges som skal på øjemål, ”på klamp”, eller over skabeloner. Spanter og svøb sættes derefter ind i den færdige skal.

1919

Vicekonsul
Jens Christian Jensen

1939

Sejlklubben Fjorden i Randers

1967

Aarhus, med et nyt navn: Johanne

1971

Bådfællesskab

2001

Nye ejere –
Johanne på land.

2020

Bådelauget
Esther-Johanne

Ejerne

Den første ejer af Harders nybygning var vicekonsul Jens Christian Jensen, direktøren for Hobro Tømmerhandel, i daglig tale “Konsulen”. Chr. Jensen dyrkede allerede lystsejlads fra Hobro i en lille sprydstagsrigget jolle. Den blev med overtagelsen af nybygningen udskiftet med den større og mere familievenlige båd, som blev opkaldt efter hans etårige datter Bodil Esther.

I sejlsæsonen lå Esther sammen med de øvrige lystbåde fra Hobro for anker på fjorden nord for havnen. Om vinteren stod Esther i en træhal med egen ophalervogn og spor til vandet, lige indenfor anløbsbroen til traktørstedet Jenle på nordsiden af fjorden. Anløbsbroen eksisterer endnu som ”Konsulens Bro”. Chr. Jensen var med Esther med ved stiftelsen af Hobro Sejlklub i 1935. I 1939 fik han bygget en Jan Utzon konstrueret ketch på Harders værft i Randers. Esther blev solgt til Sejlklubben Fjorden i Randers.

I Randers sejlede Esther som øvelsesfartøj for Sejlklubben Fjorden med pige- eller drengebesætninger hver for sig. Den vedblev med at komme på Mariager Fjord, især som frygtet deltager i de årlige pinsekapsejladser ved Hadsund.

I 1967 blev Esther solgt til Århus og navnet blev efter den nye ejers datter ændret til Johanne. Johanne fik klyverbom og den oprindelige gynterrig blev ændret til gaffelrig med topsejl på løs stage.

Ejeren Hans Schneider stillede båden til rådighed for ungdomsarbejdet i Sejlklubben Bugten og Århus Sejlklub.

I 1971 blev Johanne igen solgt og overtaget af et bådfællesskab, der med hyppigt skiftende parthavere sejlede meget. I 2001 blev den taget på land og sat under tag for en større istandsættelse af det næsten 80 år gamle skrog. Den planlagte istandsættelse gik imidlertid i stå og under det langvarige ophold på land fortsatte forfaldet.

Owners

1919

Vice-consul Jens Christian Jensen, Hobro

The first owner of Harder’s new ship was vice-consul Jens Christian Jensen, the director a timber trade business in Hobro, colloquially known as “The Consul”. Chr. Jensen was already practising recreational sailing from Hobro in a small dinghy. This was replaced with the larger and more family-friendly boat, which was named after his one-year-old daughter Bodil Esther.

During the sailing season, Esther was anchored on the fjord north of the harbour along with the other yachts from Hobro. In the winter, Esther was brought up and into a wooden hall with its own tracks and hauling wagon, right by the jetty of ’Jenle’, a tavern on the north side of the fjord. The jetty still exists to this day as the “Consul’s Bridge”. Chr. Jensen and Esther were involved in the founding of Hobro Sailing Club in 1935. In 1939, he had a Jan Utzon-designed ketch built at Harder’s shipyard in Randers and Esther was sold to the “Fjorden” sailing club in Randers.

1939

Sailing Club Fjorden, Randers

In Randers, Esther sailed as a training vessel for the sailing club ”Fjorden”. Practice or tour sailing was done with separated girl or boy crews. Esther continued to sail on Mariager Fjord and was a feared participant in the annual Pentecostal Regatta at Hadsund.

1967

Hans Schneider, Aarhus

In 1967, Esther was sold to Aarhus. The name was changed to Johanne after the new owner’s daughter. Johanne was fitted with a jib boom and the original rig was changed to a gaff rig with a topsail.

The owner Hans Schneider made the boat available for youth work at the sailing clubs ”Sejlklubben Bugten” and ”Århus Sejlklub”.

1971

Changing ownership, Aarhus

In 1971, Johanne was sold again and taken over by a group of sailors that sailed a lot. Part-holders changed frequently. In 2001, she was taken ashore and put under roof for a major refurbishment of the almost 80-year-old hull. The planned refurbishment was temporarily cancelled and during the long stay on land, the state of the boat continued to deteriorate.

2019

Rescue

During the preparatory work for the establishment of the Maritime Cultural Center Mariagerfjord , a group of former owners and users of Johanne came up with the idea of bringing her back to Hobro and include a restoration of her in the centre’s presentation of traditional wooden shipbuilding.

On 17 January 2019, Johanne was successfully acquired.

On 7 February 2020, Esther-Johanne returned to Hobro by road.

2020

The Esther-Johanne Boat Guild, Hobro

On the 24th of October 2019, Bådelauget Esther-Johanne was founded in the Ship’s Carpenter House in Hobro with 22 participants, including several former Esther and Johanne owners and guests from the Randers and Aarhus era.

At the boat guild’s first annual general meeting on 25 February 2020, the buyers transferred Johanne to the boat guild, and it was also decided that the name will be Esther-Johanne in the future.