Polar Bear (I)
| Owner | 1919 Nils Jakobsen and Jens Øien 1920 Nils Jakobsen, Jens Øien and Johs Bottolfsen 1923 A/S Sandnessjøens Privatbank 1925 Einar Amundsen and Johan Olsen 1926 Karl Norbeck, circus director, purchased for NOK 65.000. 1928 Johan Thorvik, Ålesund. Purchased for NOK 45.000. 1929 A/S Polarbjørn, Brandal (ship purchased for NOK 68.000,- |
| Ship type | Seal hunters |
| Reg. brand | M 251 A (1925) O 37 O (1926) M 148 A (1928) M 12 HD (1930) |
| Home port | Brandal, Alesund, Oslo |
| Construction site | Nils Jakobsen's Boat Building, Narvik |
| Year built | 1919 |
| Building materials | Three |
| Length, year of construction | 123,6 feet |
| Dimensions in width, year of construction | 26,9 feet |
| Dimensions in depth, year of construction | 13,6 feet |
| Tonnage | 324,3 GRT 326,8 GRT |
| Machine, original | Atlas diesel 160 hp |
| Machine, new | 1931 Atlas diesel 5 cyl. 360 hp (1938 the engine was built in Stockholm) |
| Skippers | Jens Oien Arne Meisingset Jorgen Andreassen Nikolai Aas (1924) Johan Olsen (1925) Hans Furland (1926-) Kristoffer Marø (1930-1946) Henrik Marø (1946-1949) |
| Reconstructions Shipyard | 1931 modernized, new wheelhouse and main engine 1935 Bolsønes: new cape, roundhouse removed |
| Shipwrecked | Wrecked after fire at Newfoundland 16 April 1949 |
| Additional information | Went on a seal hunt off Newfoundland in 1940 and due to the war did not return home until after the seal hunt in 1946, with 7200 seals. Originally a coal-fired donkey boiler that stood on the grate. The boiler was converted to oil-fired during World War II. (The oil burner is said to have been designed by machinist Erling Breivik). The donkey boiler was moved down into the engine room before the 1949 fishing trip. The boiler was mounted farthest aft in the engine room, above the propeller shaft. The work was carried out at Liaaen MV. The insulation against the wood was too poor and was the cause of the fire. The ship burned out and sank on 17 April 1949 with a full cargo while fishing off Belle Isles, Newfoundland. The crew of 26 men were picked up by the Canadian ship "Illinois" captained by Harald Marø, and transferred to "Herøyfjord" captained by Guttorm Jakobsen. "Herøyfjord" later sank on the way home with two crew aboard.
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| Literature | The Ice Flake, several editions. |
