Arctic seal

Was a search ship in the West Ice after the catastrophic hurricane in 1952.

1958 and 1959 expeditions to Northwestern Greenland

Fire damaged 27 October 1966 at Bolsønes Verft. Condemned as an Arctic ship. Later in service as a freighter. Drifted ashore and was crushed at Tyrhaug lighthouse in Trondheimsleia on 9 November 1975, after the engine was stopped. The three on board were rescued by M/S Elektron.

"Polarsel" was the last Arctic ship built in wood to come to Brandal. It was built at Lindstøls ship and boat building in Risør in 1950. The ship was 112 feet long, 24,4 feet wide and 11,6 feet deep. A 450 hp. Crossley diesel engine provided the propulsion.

Originally, Jens Hind from Dyrøyhamn was the one who leased the ship, but towards the end of the construction period he withdrew from the contract and Martinus Brandal took over the almost completed ship in March 1950. A few months later, Peter Karlsen bought the ship. Martinus Brandal was the ship's skipper at first, later his son Ottar M. Brandal became the ship's skipper.

In the autumn of 1950, the ship is at the slipway to install an auxiliary engine. A fire breaks out on board, and the ship is pushed out to sea and the bottom valves are opened to extinguish the fire. This was successful without major fire damage.

1952 was one of the great years of disaster in the Vesterisen. 5 ships with 78 men were lost. "Polarsel" was engaged in the search for the missing ships together with "Nordland I".

In 1958 and 1959, "Polarsel" was hired for expeditions to Greenland.

The purpose of the 1959 expedition was to clean up the area. This was based on 1931 when the trappers occupied parts of North-East Greenland. The new land where they had hoisted the Norwegian flag was to be called "Eirik Raudes Land".

Denmark appealed the case to the court in The Hague, where Norway lost and was given a 10-year deadline to clean up the area. This deadline was postponed due to the last world war, but in 1959, when the "Polar Seal" was sent to clean up, all Norwegian fishing in the area was stopped.

The ship was engaged in seal and herring fishing. But it was necessary to keep up with developments, so in 1965 "Polarsel" was fitted with a power unit.

The following year, in 1966, the ship was in the slipway at Bolsønes to change the engine. While people from the workshop were working on this, a fire started in the bottom of the ship. It was difficult to control the fire, so the ship was towed out to sea. "Polarsel" was filled with sea water through the open casing, and in this way they managed to extinguish the fire.

The ship was now condemned. The shipping company bought it back and sold it to John M. Karlsen in Tjørvåg. ”Polaric” towed it to Tjørvåg where it was converted into a freighter.

In 1968 the boat was rebuilt and ready for new assignments. The boat was now named "Polnes", and was fitted with a 260 hp Hjelset engine.

19. April 1971 there is another fire on board the ship. This while a new owner, Johannes Gravdal from Stord is in Tjørvåg to look at the ship. People from shore quickly arrived to put out the fire. He used the boat for various freight missions.

Gravdal sells the boat to Karl Johan Pedersen, Dalekvam, in 1974. Now the ship changes name to "Kurt Ivar", and gets a new engine again, a MWM V12 of 348 hp.

In the autumn of 1975, the boat changed hands again. Now to Audun Samuelsen and Arnold Aas near Bergen. The new name was now "Aasnes". But on November 9, 1975, the ship ended its days in the Trondheimsleia.

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