Anna Karoline

Anna Karoline

Anna Karoline (left) in the 1970s, as a museum ship in Bodø
History
Norway
Name:	Anna Karoline
Cost:	Unknown
Launched:	1876
In service:	1876–1954
Homeport:	Bodø
Fate:	Museum ship
General characteristics
Class and type:	Jekt
Length:	Hull: 60 ft 0 in (18.29 m)
Beam:	21 ft (6.40 m)
Draught:	6 ft (1.8 m)
Propulsion:	Sail
Speed:	8 kn (15 km/h)
Capacity:	90 tons d.w. (or 100 fathom firewood)
Complement:	5–6

Anna Karoline is a jekt (a single-masted open cargo sailing ship) often called Nordlandsjekt, built at Brataker in Mosvik, Norway in 1876.

The jekt type was for centuries the most important freight vessel along the coast of Norway and Anna Karoline is typical for jekt vessels sailing between Northern Norway and Bergen. She was purchased by the museum Nordland County Museum (now the Nordland Museum) in 1954 and placed ashore at Bodøsjøen south of the center of the city of Bodø. The Nordlandsmuseum has plans for constructing a large building around Anna Karoline, to preserve the vessel and exhibit her as a museum ship.

The jekt was used as a freight vessel along the Norwegian coast from around the 17th century and until the early 20th century, when the use steadily declined. The vessel type was built from Hardanger in the south to Beiarn in the north. At most around 200 jekts sailed from Northern Norway to Bergen with . The jekt had a distinct appearance and was a sturdy freighter with a large capacity for cargo. Under good conditions the voyage could go fast, there are stories about voyages from Lofoten to Bergen in around three days, which makes a speed around 8 knots. It is possible that the vessel type is based on earlier Norwegian vessels, but that foreign vessels also have been an inspiration. The encyclopedia Store norske leksikon has this definition of jekt (nordlandsjekt):

The jekt was not easy to sail, but they could carry much cargo compared to the materials used for the vessel. It was thus probably due to economy that they became so popular. The last jekts were built in Trøndelag. By the early 20th century the jekt had been replaced by larger sailing vessels and steamships.

For centuries jekts were important for Northern Norway's export of stockfish. Each jekt could make two voyages a year to Bergen with this cargo, the city had for many hundred years monopoly on trading with Northern Norway. After the stockfish cargo had been loaded in Bergen the jekt would return with goods that Northern Norway did not produce.