14 October 2025
While renovating an old boathouse in Burøysund on Vannøya, Åsgeir Henriksen discovered something interesting in the attic: a well-preserved lifebuoy. On the lifebuoy the name “BOYE NILSEN” was painted in black. This was a fishing trawler with a home port at Myre in Øksnes, which sank 60 years ago. Åsgeir therefore contacted the museum in Øksnes, and recently stopped by to hand over the lifebuoy.
MS Boye Nilsen. Photo: Gunnar Grindstein.
MS Boye Nilsen departed in January of 1965. At the turn of the month between January and February, all contact with the trawler was lost. Later, debris began to appear, and the accident was a fact. The locals are well aware of this incident, as it has left deep traces in the Øksnes community. The entire crew of 14 people lost their lives in the sinking, several lost someone they loved. Only one of the deceased was found.
Johannes Petrus Johansen was found in October of the same year as the boat disappeared, at Lokkarsholman in Karlsøy municipality in 1965, also near Burøysund.
The location of the lifebuoy that was now in Åsgeir’s attic was uncertain, as it was probably found by one of his uncles, Åge or Ludvig Hansen, who was located in Sandvika, only 3 km away from Lokkarsholmen. It seems likely that the lifebuoy has drifted in the same direction as the deceased and other debris, and may have been found either on the shore or drifting. In any case, it has been stored in good conditions, and shows little signs of wear.
The new lifebuoy is in significantly better condition than the one that was already in the museum’s collection. Photo: Øksnes museum.
Øksnes Museum already has one of the lifebuoys in its collection. When something is added to the collection, it goes through the admission committee, where the object is assessed on the basis of documented history, historical value, condition, and other factors that determine whether the object can be incorporated into Museum Nord’s collection. This newly discovered lifebuoy is received as it is in better condition than the other, and the site of the discovery can be assumed to be limited to the area around Lokkarsholmen. This is also an important story to document. Thanks to Åsgeir who chose to donate this to us.
Åsgeir holds up the lifebuoy he has donated to the museum. Photo: Øksnes museum.
If you have something you think is of importance to the history of Øksnes or the rest of the region, that you would like to donate to the museum, you can send us a request here: