Furenak

"Furenak" was built in wood at Knut Skaala shipbuilding in Rosendal in 1916. The boat was 98,5 feet long, 21,9 feet wide and 10,7 feet deep, 140,6 gross tons and 61,57 net tons. The boat had a two-stage steam engine of 136 in.hp, built at Brunholmen's mechanical workshop in Ålesund.

It was Laurits Brandal who built "Furenak". Laurits, along with his brothers and his father, was involved on the ownership side in many of the ships at Brandal at this time. The ship got its name from a mountain range right behind the owner's house at Brandal. Furenakken.

When the ship arrived new from the Brandal shipyard, we could read in Sunnmørsposten that; "...the new ship is a rare beautiful and well-appointed ship. Aft is furnished a bright, large and pleasant cabin for the driver and a separate cabin for the gunners. Nothing has been spared to make everything pleasant and contemporary for the people on board. The owner, Mr. L. Brandal, is extremely satisfied with the new ship and he praises the workshop for the excellent work it has done."

In 1918, the "Furenak" set sail from Ålesund on March 22. There was a storm in the Vesterisen, the ship suffered damage to the bow, and had to interrupt the catch, which had so far been 800 animals. The same year, on June 3, it went to the Strait, and caught 2000 animals here and was home on August 1.

In 1919, "Furenak" was in both the Vesterisen and the Strait, 2500 and 1500 seals. In the winter, the ship used drift nets for herring, at Stokksund and off the Møre coast.

When the ship registry was introduced in 1920, the ship was registered as M 34 HD.

In 1923 the owner had problems in the difficult economic times that were raging, and Ålesunds Kreditbank took over the ship. They sold it a month later to DS Furenak AS, Vartdal, for NOK 41.160. In this company, Peder E. Aarseth is the owner. The ship is registered in Ålesund with M 80 A, but later it is moved to Vartdal and given no. M 8 VD

In 1933, DS Furenak AS transferred the boat to AS Polar, led by Trygve Jervell. In 1936, DS Furenak AS took over the boat again.

In the autumn of 1940, the "Furenak" went on an expedition to North-East Greenland with an all-Danish expedition for the Germans with radios, weapons and Norwegian uniforms. The expedition was landed on the south side of Davy Sound, where they built a station. The expedition was discovered and burned by "Fritjof Nansen" that same autumn. The expedition members were taken to Iceland, "Furenak" returned to Norway.

In the autumn of 1948, a new machine was launched at Kyrksæterøra. A Crossley with 300 hp. At the same time, it also gets a new rear. After this, the new goals are; 98,8 feet long, 22,2 feet wide, and 11,0 feet deep. 143,19 gross tonnes. A few years later it was further rebuilt and extended, and measured 106,6 feet long and 153,49 gross tons.

In 1962 it was time for an engine change, and it was fitted with a 500 hp Wichmann, which was later rebuilt to a 750 hp in 1966. In 1964 it had a power block installed and was out herring fishing in the North Sea.

In the 1970s, it was also engaged in fresh fish trawling in the North Sea. The last seal-hunting trip of "Furenak" was in 1979 in the Vesterisen. However, it was active in ice-covered waters until 1981, when it went on a transport assignment for the Royal Danish Trade in East Greenland.

But everything has an end; on November 17, 1983, the "Furenak" was sunk in Gangstøvika near Ålesund.