Vilvite, in Bergen, Norway, is a science museum with a similar mission to the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington. In 2022 Float Your Boat collaborated with Vilvite which just happens to be located in one of Seattle’s Sister Cities. Vilvite cut and branded hundreds of wooden boats and had them decorated in various learning programs. Most of boats were deployed by Le Commandant Charcot at the North Pole in summer 2022.
There have been eleven boats reported this summer and fall and all of them have been connected to the Norge collaboration. Of the eleven, nine boats were from Vilvite. Five of the Vilvite boats were reported from the shores of Norway, one just over the border in Russia, two on the Faroe Islands and one in Iceland. The odds of having just one Vilvite boat wash up on the shores of Norway would be high but having five return to Norway is astronomical. It’s almost as if the boats were imprinted on Norway similar to sea turtles returning to the beach they hatched on each nesting season.
Glancing back at the blog posts you will find similar coincidences that are beyond belief. The total number of boats reported from the shores of Norway up til now is five. Two of the boats were deployed by the KV Svalbard, a Norwegian icebreaker, and three originated in Bergen, Norway at Vilvite. So all five boats have been connected to Norway in some way. What are the odds?
Boat 5074
This boat was decorated by a school pupil (at the time 4th grade) at Vilvite the Norwegian flag colors and symbols. It was found while Olsen was walking along the beach.
Date Found | 06/22/2023 |
Place Found | Norway, 9624 Revsnesham, 70.68954. 24.3498 |
Found By | Olsen Geir |
Date Deployed | July/August 2022 |
Who Deployed | Le Commandant Charcot |
Deployment Location | North Pole |
Track Taken | North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre |
Boat 5046
This boat was decorated by Vilvite visitor Sofia who was 9 years old at the time.
Date Found | 06/23/2023 |
Place Found | Gjøssøya, Tromsø, Norway N 69 50,05 E 018 25,10 69.834 18.41833 |
Found By | Roy Cato Jensen |
Date Deployed | July/August 2022 |
Who Deployed | Le Commandant Charcot |
Deployment Location | North Pole |
Track Taken | North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre |
No Number Boat
This boat was boat was found by a young girl.
Date Found | 06/23/2023 |
Place Found | Norway, northern part. A small island with no population. We have A cabin at Halmøy, A small island, only us here. Tjue is west in The ocean, of Vega, an island which is part of the world heritage list. (65.6356282, 11.5737329) |
Found By | Line Halmøy Lillejord |
Date Deployed | Fall 2020 |
Who Deployed | |
Deployment Location | North Pole |
Track Taken | North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre |
Boat 5333
This boat was decorated by a Vilvite visitor. It was found in the Russian Arctic by Egor.
Date Found | 7//2023 |
Place Found | Россия полуостров Рыбачий мыс Тонин N 69o 56’ 36” E 031o 59’ 48” 69.94336 N 31.9966 E |
Found By | Egor |
Date Deployed | July/August 2022 |
Who Deployed | Le Commandant Charcot |
Deployment Location | North Pole |
Track Taken | North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre |
Boat 5482
Date Found | 07/09/2023 |
Place Found | Hoven, Lofoten, Lofoten Links lodges/ 83RW+G5J Saupstad, Norwegen/ Lighthouse Hovsund - few meters east from it (68.3413440, 14.0953872) |
Found By | Jacqueline Bertlich |
Date Deployed | July/August 2022 |
Who Deployed | Le Commandant Charcot |
Deployment Location | North Pole |
Track Taken | North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre |
Boat 5209
Date Found | 08/11/2023 |
Place Found | Andoya, bleik, Norway 69°16'19"N 15°56'37"E · 2,42 m (69.2948527, 15.9947986) |
Found By | Finley Holl and Bartłomiej Gubała |
Date Deployed | July/August 2022 |
Who Deployed | Le Commandant Charcot |
Deployment Location | North Pole |
Track Taken | North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre |
Boat 5097
The boat was found on the beach of Svínoyarvík on the eastcoast of Svínoy, Faroe Island. Svínoy ís one of the northern islands in the Faroes. It is also on the east side of the region. There is only one village on the Island and it has the same name, Svínoy.
Date Found | 09/03/2023 |
Place Found | Faroe Island Latitude: 62.2784601 Longitude: -6.3430441 |
Found By | Óli A.Reinert á Geilini |
Date Deployed | July/August 2022 |
Who Deployed | Le Commandant Charcot |
Deployment Location | North Pole |
Track Taken | North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre |
Boat 5174
Date Found | 10/28/2023 |
Place Found | Hvammstangi, Iceland, west side of Miðfjörður 65,4010060, -21,0126574 |
Found By | David Benhaim |
Date Deployed | July/August 2022 |
Who Deployed | Le Commandant Charcot |
Deployment Location | North Pole |
Track Taken | North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre |
Boat 5215
Date Found | 11/15/2023 |
Place Found | Beach, Sydrugøta, Faroe Islands 62.1831026, -6.7536508 |
Found By | Eiler Hansen |
Date Deployed | July/August 2022 |
Who Deployed | Le Commandant Charcot |
Deployment Location | North Pole |
Track Taken | North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre |
Boat 5028
Date Found | November 23, 2023 |
Place Found | Vik, Iceland 63.41305° N, 19.01902° W |
Found By | Zed Hausman and Chris Vazzana |
Date Deployed | July/August 2022 |
Who Deployed | Le Commandant Charcot |
Deployment Location | North Pole |
Track Taken | North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre |