Ósvör is the largest and the oldest fishing base in Ísafjardardjup. Here, just outside of Bolungarvík you will find a (re)construction of an old fishing outpost...
Among the pieces displayed there is the rowing boat Ölver that gives a good idea of the kind of ships that were used for fishing in that time. The museum displays all kinds of fishing equipment and various tools that were used for fishing and fish production in the time of the fishing base. The curator greets visitors wearing a skin suit that is similar to the one Icelandic sailors wore in that time.
Most of the over 300 fishing stations in Iceland in the 18th and 19th century were in the Vestfjords, these were divided into four categories. Each farm had its own home base or "heimaver" they went fishing from. If many farms were close to each other and there were many people living there then they would collaborate and go fishing from the same home base. An Away base or "útver" is the complete opposite to the home base: men left their home and stayed in the away fishing base. "Viðleguver" was a base where non-local men were fishing all season. The fourth type was a mixed base "blandað ver”: the fishing men usually were no locals but the locals would also use this base.
Image from museum website.
