Marel Viking Hand Craft
Viking ship builder

Mavabraut 8d
IS - 230 Reykjanesbaer
Iceland

Tel.: +354 894 2874

E-mail

Marel Viking Hand Craft - Viking Ship Building
About 1000 years after the golden area of the Vikings, a young Icelander, Gunnar Marel Eggertsson, became interested in building a Viking ship of his own. He was born in the volcanic Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar) south of Iceland in 1954 into a family of shipbuilders.

Ship Builder and a Complished captain
His grandfather founded a shipyard in The Westman Islands which his father later took over. There the young Gunnar Marel learned the trade under the guidance of his grandfather and father and became a fully educated shipbuilder when he was only 25 years old.

Gunnar Marel is not only a shipbuilder. He is also a fisherman and has a diploma as a captain. He was only 14 years old when he started working on fishing boats in his hometown. So the sea has been his home and place of work all his life. In 1990 a small accident let Gunnar Marel on his first voyage over the Atlantic Ocean on a Viking ship. He broke his arm and was grounded for four months.

When he got the news of a Norwegian plan to sail the Viking ship Gaia from Norway to Washington, D.C., he contacted the Gaia group and was accepted into the crew as second in command.

He then sailed with Gaia from May 17 to October 9, 1991. Later he participated in another Gaia voyage from Washington, D.C. to Rio de Janeiro were the UN Environmental Conference was opened upon the Gaia's arrival.

For information on Viking Ship Building and stearing contact Gunnar directly at +354 894 2874 or through email