Norway issued two stamps in 1998 depicting old and new sea-transport vessels used on the coast of Norway.
The HORNELEN the older vessel was built in 1866 by Mitchell & Co. Ltd, Newcastle, England for the Nordre Bergenhus Amts Dampskibe, Bergen, Norway.
Built as a passenger- cargo vessel under yard No152.
21 November 1866 launched as the HORNELEN.
Tonnage 256 gross, 148 net, dim. 130.4 x 20.8 x 11.2ft.
Powered by a 2-cyl compound steam engine, 45 nhp., speed 9.5 knots.
Passengers 175.
1866 Completed, homeport Bergen, Norway.
20 January 1867 she entered service with cargo, passengers and mail between Bergen and Sunnfjord, later served also other routes.
1874 Her engine modernized.
The early part of 1883 is notable in the company records for a most unusual cargo carried by the HORNELEN between Fortun and Laksevag. The earliest churches in Norway were built of wood, with many features and constructional methods closely resembling those by the Vikings for their ‘long ships’. In the course of time many of these ‘stavkirker’ were destroyed, often by fire, but others were pulled down, from about 1850 onwards, to be replaced by new structures.
In 1883, F. Gade bought the ‘stavkirke’ at Fotun and arranged for it to be moved to Fantoft, near Bergen. The demolition and delivery to Laksevag was done by 17 March, and re-erected at Fantoft commenced on 20 March. The church is still to today a major tourist attraction.
1992 This church burned down, the cause was arson. An exact replica was later built on the same spot with old timbers from the same area in Sognefjord where the original wood came from.
1887 Rebuilt and modernized at Nylands Verksted, Oslo, a new 2-cyl compound installed, manufactured by Nylands, 52 nhp, speed 10 knots.
1888 Ran aground at Vårdalsnes, Dalsfjord and sank. Raised and repaired.
1899 Adrift in Dalsfjord and came in collision with several vessels.
1911 In collision with the tug KVIK in Byfjorde, Bergen.
04 December 1914 after a collision with the GUDVANGEN in Skatestraumen in where she sank in shallow water Rugsundøy, raised and repaired.
27 December 1915 she grounded and sank at Svanøbuken on a voyage from Svatvik to Bergen with mail and 80 passengers in calm weather. One man killed.
August 1917 after repair back in service.
25 January 1919 the company changed her name to Fylkesbaatana I Sogn & Fjordane, Bergen.
At some point after this she entered into the summer tourist service between Fjaerland-Balestrand and Flam, her hull painted white.
11 December 1926 during a snowstorm while on her way to Dalsfjord she grounded in the Feiefjord. Passengers and crew and mail rescued from lifeboats by a German trawler.
April 1926 salvaged and repaired and modernized that fall.
When Germany attacked Norway on 09 April 1940 she was in Bergen.
Not requisitioned by the German forces during the war and she came again in her regular service.
November 1941 during an Allied air-attack south of Askvoll one man was injured and the HORNELEN was slightly damaged.
After the war during the summer season used in the tourist service between Fjærland, Balestrand and Flåm, after a new vessel took over this service in 1949 the HORNELEN was laid up at the Damsgårdsundet, Bergen.
January 1951 Sold in Stavanger to Skipsophugnings Co., Buøy at Stavanger for breaking up.
10 January 1951 delivered to the breaker.
Norway1998 3.80Kr, sg 1309, scott?
Source: Log Book.. http://www.warsailors.com/homefleet/shipsh2.html