The seal

The ship was built at the Grøtvågen shipyard in Kyrksæterøra in Hemne municipality in Sør-Trøndelag and delivered in 1948. The ship was around 90 feet long, and the owners were the brothers Oskar, Ole, Arnolf and Jon Sandvik in Tjørvåg. In 1964, the ship briefly belonged to Rieber in Bergen, before the brothers Jørgen and Bjarne Kløvning took over the ship and registered her in Hareid. Until 1971, the ship was mostly used for seal hunting and herring fishing. In 1971, the ship was damaged by fire during a workshop stay at Fiskerstrand MV. The damaged ship was sold to Bjørnar Mikalsen in Båtsfjord. He had the ship repaired and converted into a cargo ship – for transporting smolt and for rental to the fisheries inspection. In 1997 the ship was sold to a new owner in Sandefjord, but remained lying for a while at a workshop in Hammerfest. Owner of The seal at that time could not afford to pay for the repairs at the workshop in Hammerfest. In 2000, the workshop took over the boat and sold it to the company Karens Rorbuer AS in Komagfjord in Alta municipality. There The seal set ashore and furnished for serving and accommodation. A sketch suggests that the hold has become a lounge, the hold has become a cafeteria, and the stern of the ship has become a guest room for accommodation. Lavvos and camping cabins have also been built by the boat, and there is a guest jetty on the sea side. In its marketing, Karens Rorbuer AS emphasizes Arctic light and climate, Maritime Sami culture and Arctic culture, among other things linked to the Arctic ship The seal