Alskär – incredible story of survival

Alskär is a small rugged island situated southwest of Kråkskär. It belongs to a group of islands called the Nail Islets. These little islands are scattered like nails thrown on the floor, which is likely where they got their name. Many of these islands were inhabited in the past, and life on them was hard.

I am particularly fond of the southern parts of the archipelago sea. You enter the outer archipelago where the sea becomes “larger”, and the islands smaller and more rugged. This landscape pleases my eyes and soul.

It also means that there is less shelter from the wind, and that’s why I felt like a lottery winner when the weather forecast promised calm weather for a weekend in May. Now I was able paddle into my favorite area!

You can see Alskär’s location at the end of this post.

You need a kayak or boat to visit Alskär. It is part of the Archipelago National park and camping there is forbidden. There’s a campground in Kråkskär, which is the neighbour island.

Alskär In Bloom

I landed on a smooth cliff on the southern side of the island. It was so beautiful in the calm and sunny weather.

Walking a few meters into the island, I ran into a violet carpet! The ground shone purple with wild pansies, which had spread to almost the entire width of the island like a carpet. The pansies were everywhere so I didn’t know where to step.

I found my way around the little island. On the western side, there’s a little ash “forest”. Ash trees were blooming and the blue sea was glimmering all around. The island showed its best side to me and that alone was impressive. 

But after hearing Ahlskär’s story, you look at this little island with a new kind of respect.

I have read the story in Benedict Zilliacus‘ book The Outer Archipelago (Utöar 1974). Below is a shortened version of it.

The Harsh Realities Of Life On Alskär

Alskär was settled in 1890. Janne from Kråkskär moved there with his wife Manda. They moved to Alskär with their seven children and had three more while living there.

There were no fishing grounds on the island, so they had to go fishing far out to Jurmo, more than 30 km away. They had to fetch the drinking water by boat, because there was no well on Alskär. 

They had a cow, which needed hay. There was no arable land. Janne and Manda did their best but all they could grow was a little hay. So they had to buy hay against work and fetch it to the island also by boat.

All the trips were made rowing or sailing.

There was no proper harbour on the island, so they had to be constantly ready to move the boat to the other side of the island when the wind changed, even in the middle of the night.

It Was Extra Hard For Janne…

The conditions in the archipelago were already tough, and they were even more challenging for Janne, who was one-armed! 

At the age of 17, he suffered a stroke, which left his right hand completely paralyzed, his right leg partially paralyzed, and impaired the vision in his right eye.

Despite this, Janne managed to row, catch seals, fish with nets, and shoot birds. He undertook long fishing trips, rowing and sailing with just one hand, and was able to gut fish and handle seals. He used his mouth or feet to replace the missing arm.

Additionally, he constructed the buildings on the island and even built his own boats, which required a high level of precision. He made his own juniper nails used in boat construction, and they had to be just the correct size.

Just imagine how difficult it must have been to perform all these tasks with only one arm!

I can’t be thinking of Manda’s share. How on earth did she take care of ten children on this small island. How did she manage to feed them, make sure they had clothes and shoes, and take care of them when they were ill?! Every day, year after year!

What Is Left Today

Today, only the foundations of the buildings remain, with grass now growing between the bricks where the fireplace used to be. 

It’s striking to see how small the cabin was, considering that twelve people lived in it. There are remains of a shed close to the shore.

Stone walls, built to line small fields, still stand. Cultivable land was created by clearing stones, which were then used to build fences providing shelter from the wind and storing heat from the sun. 

The effort required to move stones and build these fences is truly impressive, especially considering that Janne did it with only one arm!

Alskär is small and it doesn’t take long to get around it. In the northeast, you can see the sheltered harbour of Kråkskär. There is also a national park camping area, where I’d head next.

Harsh Environment – Tough People?

With Janne’s story in mind, I sit on the southernside cliff to admire the beauty of the archipelago spring and to marvel at human resources. Does the harsh environment give birth to resilient people or was Janne just an exceptionally determined and competent individual. Not to forget Manda, who did his share of the island’s work. 

Benedict Zilliacus wonders what Janne would have accomplished if he had both arms. Was Janne too strong as a human so that nature had to take half of his capacity off?

I feel embarrassed to have complained when my wrist hurts, or how my medication causes fatiqueness. How many of us give up with the first setback, in any area of life?

Janne didn’t have a choice. His choice was to live in Alskär despite all the difficulties of having a life there.

I hope that some of these people’s strength and determination will also grip me as I continue my voyage in awe.

Alskär’s location

Map source: luontoon.fi

Other camping spots in the archipelago