Ingolfur Arnarson

[shipstamps]

A modem post-war steam trawler, the Ingolfur Arnarson, named after the first settler in Iceland (AD. 874), appears on 10 aurar and 1.50 krona stamps of Iceland. She is owned by the Reykjavik City authorities and is one of 32 of the same type built in England, another 10 being under construction when the stamp was issued. The vessels are 175ft long with gross tonnages varying between 600 and 700.
SG297,299,304,305. Sea Breezes 1/53

[aukepalmhof]

Just after World War II in 1945 an Icelandic trade mission visited the United Kingdom, and during this visit an order was placed for a series of 8 modern fishing vessels against easy payments supplied by the English Government.
The order was placed by Cochrane & Sons at Selby, England.
For that time it was a modern fishing vessel with a nice looking bow and a round stern, a raised poop-deck, all winches were electric, only the fish winch was driven by steam.
The first vessel delivered was the INGOLFUR ARNARSON.

Built as a side-trawler under yard No 1320 for Bæjarutgerd Reykjavikur., Reykjavik.
18 May 1946 launched under the name INGOLFUR ARNARSON. She was named after the first settler in Iceland (AD 874)
Tonnage 654 grt, 243 nrt, dim. 193.5 x 30.4 x 16ft. (draught) length bpp 175ft.
Powered by a triple expansion steam engine, manufactured by Amos & Smith, Hull, 1.250 ihp., speed 13 knots.
February 1947 delivered to owners.

Around 1951 a fishery strike broke out on the Humberside, England, and there became a fish shortage.
Some outsiders seeing the chance to make an extra buck under which Mr. George Dawson chartered some Icelandic fish-trawlers to break the strike. One of this trawlers was the INGOLFUR ARNARSON.
She was the first vessel which arrived at the Humberside and after she got permission to discharge her fish, she arrived in Grimsby.
The fish was sold for £30.000, for that time a very good price.

1972 Sold to the City of Reykjavik and renamed HJORLEIFUR.
26 November 1974 she arrived at San Esteban de Pravia, Spain, for breaking up.

Source: Log Book. Miramar Ship Index. Lloyds Register 1955/56

[john sefton]

At the end of the second world war the Icelandic government contracted for the building of 40 trawlers in Britain to rejuvenate the decrepit trawler fleet. Icelanders called them the renovation trawlers.

Ingólfur Arnarson RE 201. The first renovation trawler that was bought to Iceland. Built in England 1947. Steel. 654 BRT. 1000 horsepower steam engine. Owner: Reykjavik Fishing company 1947. Its name was changed to Hjörleifur RE 211 in 1972. It´s sold to Spain as scrap metal in 1974.

Iceland Philatelic
Iceland SG?