The first Norwegian wintering expedition to Northwestern Greenland

Among the fishermen in Sunnmøre who had been fishing during the summer under East Greenland, there had often been discussions about whether it would be worthwhile to spend the winter there to fish. This led to skipper Sevrin Liavåg, who had been with the "Minna" under East Greenland, having a small vessel built and equipped to try such a wintering. It was a sailing ship of only 37 gross tons, built by Hans Gravdal in Sunnhordland, and she was named "Floren". The ship had been delivered in 1908 and was thus new for this expedition, 57 feet long. She was owned by Sevrin Liavåg and merchant H. Koppernæs in Ålesund.

The equipment for this first wintering trip began in May 1908, and they brought plenty of provisions in case they had to go on an extra involuntary wintering. They also brought a lot of material to set up hunting huts. They brought with them 100 hl of coal, 40 hl of salt, 30 sacks of flour, 10 sacks of potatoes and coffee, groats, sugar, canned goods, juice, spices, butter, etc.

There were 7 men in the crew that left Ålesund on June 18th;

• Sevrin Liavåg, skipper and expedition leader
• Adolf Brandal, gunner and deputy leader
• Peder EP Brandal
• Mathias L. Hjellvold
• Johannes Dreyer Larsen
• Beard I. Berge
• Johan A. Hareide

Adolf Brandal wrote a full diary from the trip.

They came ashore at Hvalrossøya and built two cabins in the terrain here: “Kopparnæshuset” and “Borganes”. The diary reads: “We have now set up the farm house, 6 cubits wide on each side.” ….”I think it looks pretty much like the branch of the Bank of Norway back home in Aalesund – from the outside, of course.”

In order to land the ship so that they could safely store her over the winter, they had to use a winch, blockwork, and steel cable.
There was much effort in the days ahead to find a place where they could haul up the ship for the winter. They tried both Sabine Island and Kvalross Island, but in the end it was Griper Roads. We will include one of Adolf Brandal's diary reports about this:

"Thursday 16 July. Turned out, drank our coffee and started to haul in our moorings, but it then turned out that the anchor had given way, so no moorings. We couldn't possibly lie there. If the ice went all the way up the fjord, we had wind and sea down on us, at the same time as the ice drifts into the fjord, and when the current turns back out, the ice forces the islet up, which could result in it being destroyed - especially as the islet consists of uneven mountain peaks. So for the second time, the attempt to find a suitable place, where we could count on storing the shoot over the winter, failed. I must honestly admit that my mood dropped below normal. But after summing up a bit, the skipper and I took the boat to have a look around. In the north-east country, there was no point in putting the vessel down. We investigated the north side of an islet, which we have named "maageholmen". There was deep water on the islet, but since the ice was so thick, there was no point in mooring there either, so we rowed along the mainland towards Griper Roads, where we found a nice rocky bottom and deep enough to make an attempt.
We decided to do an experiment, after which the skipper and I began to dig a trench about 2 cubits deep, where we wanted to lay down a log to make a fixed gine and gangway.

We sent 4 of the crew over to Hvalrosøen after the walking game, a trencher and some ducks. Took up our moorings and towed the shot into place. After so many unsuccessful attempts to get the schooner to float up onto the bed in the usual way, we decided to tip it over on its side, put planks under it and haul it up so that it slides on the keel and the side with the broad side facing the shore.

We decided to work until we had finished everything, using the night to help. So now that it has started on the next day, we can be happy that it is well up in the spring. We have canceled and are going to take a nap. Westerly wind that chases the fog down the mountain, but that does not prevent the sun from sending its rays to warm us and dry our clothes."

The next day, Friday, it is said that "We started, as soon as it was high tide, to raise the shot 3 cubits, after which we fixed it, as we assumed that it was out of danger for the time being. As the collection devices must be ready to be used, if required, we can take it more calmly now. Today, Stuerten has a spacious kitchen. We put the galley ashore, as it was no longer pleasant to bake bread in an oven that leaned towards him at a 45 degree angle. He has hung up a sail to protect against the wind, and where he can stand in shelter, while he prepares his bread.

The expedition had come to an area with a lot of polar bears. They had already shot a few bears around the cabin when on May 12, 1909, they shot another bear at “Kopparnæshuset”, out on the fjord. But the ice around the bear was bad. They hoped that if they had skis on their feet, they would be fine. But the ice did not hold, but suddenly gave way when Sevrin Liavåg and Johan L. Hareide were in the middle of it. The others jumped for ropes and sledges, but the two men were unable to stay up until help arrived. Adolf Brandal says in his diary; “I had to stand and watch them sink, the only thing I could do, and that is what I did, was to cry out to Almighty God, that he would take their souls to mercy. And I heard the two of them praying to their God, that he would have mercy on them”.

The expedition arrived in Ålesund on August 27, 1909 with a catch of 15 musk oxen, 30 polar bears, 30 blue foxes and 30 white fox skins. They also had some seal skins. The total value of the catch was about 4.000 NOK.

In Ålesund, many people came on board and wanted to see and hear. Among them was Fridtjof Nansen who was there with "Veslemøy".