Meet Gunnar Marel Eggertsson
A highly qualified expert in the reconstruction and sailing of Viking ships.
The driving force behind the project
The person responsible for the project is Gunnar Marel Eggertsson from Iceland. He has all the qualifications and experience needed to complete the project successfully as he has done with other Viking ship projects he has been involved in.
According to a historian, one of Gunnar Marel Eggertsson's ancestors 33 generations back in his mother's family was the famous Norse explorer Leif Eirikson.
According to a historian, one of Gunnar Marel Eggertsson's ancestors 33 generations back in his mother's family was the famous Norse explorer Leif Eirikson.
Master shipbuilder and sea captain
Gunnar Marel leads the building of the Enok Knarr
Gunnar Marel Eggertsson is well-known internationally for his work with Viking ships. Gunnar Marel is both a sea captain and a master shipbuilder by trade.
He is an Icelandic citizen born in the Westman Islands with extensive knowledge and long experience in building and sailing Viking ships.
In the year 2002, Gunnar Marel was awarded the Order of the Falcon by the Icelandic state for his work with Viking ships.
This is the highest honor the Icelandic state can bestow on its citizens.
He is an Icelandic citizen born in the Westman Islands with extensive knowledge and long experience in building and sailing Viking ships.
In the year 2002, Gunnar Marel was awarded the Order of the Falcon by the Icelandic state for his work with Viking ships.
This is the highest honor the Icelandic state can bestow on its citizens.
Gunnar Marel's qualifications at a glance
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As the person responsible for the project Gunnar Marel is highly qualified for the work involved: |
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He has formal qualifications both as a master shipbuilder and a shipmaster. |
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He has successfully built an authentic replica of a large Viking ship (The Icelander) and in the year 2000, he sailed it from Iceland to America as its captain. |
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A large and modern museum called Viking World was opened in Iceland in the year 2008 to preserve and exhibit the Viking ship the Icelander built by Gunnar Marel. The Icelander Viking ship is the main attraction of the museum. This is a strong confirmation of the quality of his work with the Icelander. |
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In the year 2002, he was awarded the highest honor the Icelandic state can bestow on its citizens called The Order of The Falcon for his work with the Icelander. |
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He has many years of experience as captain of replica Viking ships (Gaia in 1991 - 1992 and The Icelander from 1996 - 2002) and sailing them on long ocean voyages. |
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He has extensive knowledge of the history of Viking ships including the Hedeby 3 Knarr, original building methods of Viking ships and material used, and how to navigate and manage Viking ships. |
The captain of Gaia, a Norwegian Viking ship
Captain Gunnar Marel (second from right) on board the Viking ship Gaia in the year 1991 with president George H W Bush
In the year 1991, Gunnar Marel was asked to be the captain of Gaia, a Norwegian Viking ship a replica of the Gokstad ship, to lead the 14-month journey of Gaia from Norway to North America and then onwards to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
The occasion was to be present during the historic Environment convention in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. On the 14-month journey, Gaia stopped along the way in Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the USA, and other countries.
The occasion was to be present during the historic Environment convention in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. On the 14-month journey, Gaia stopped along the way in Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the USA, and other countries.
The Icelander, a Viking ship built by Gunnar Marel
In March 1996 Gunnar Marel finished building a traditional Viking warship that was 23 meters long and a replica of the Gokstad ship, built 870 a.d., which is preserved in Bygdøy near Oslo Norway. The ship called The Icelander (Íslendingur) took about 1 year from start to finish, and for most of the time, Gunnar Marel worked alone on the build.
In the year 2000 Captain Gunnar Marel sailed the Icelander Viking ship he built from Iceland to America.
Building the Icelander was an extraordinary achievement. The Icelandair measures 22.5 meters in length, and 5.3 meters in breadth, has a draught of 1.7 meters, and measures 80 gross tons. The ship was built of 18 tonnes of Norwegian and Swedish oak and required 5,000 nails. Her sail was made in Denmark. Her average speed is 7 knots, top speed 18 knots.
In the year 1998, Gunnar Marel decided to sail the Icelander across the Atlantic as part of the millennial celebrations in the year 2000 of his ancestor Leif Erikson's voyage to Vinland.
According to a historian, Leif Eirikson was Gunnar Marel's ancestor 33 generations back in his mother's family. Leif was the first European to find America in the year 1000.
The principal sponsor of the voyage of the Icelander in the year 2000 was the Leif Eirikson Millennium Commission. The Commission organized nearly 230 cultural events at some 70 venues in the USA and Canada for the year 2000.
The Icelander set sail from Reykjavik on the 17th of June 2000, the Icelandic National Day, with Gunnar Marel skippering and a crew of eight including one woman. From there the ship sailed to Brattahlid in Greenland for the celebration of the Viking settlement attended by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
On the 28th of July, the ship arrived at L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, the single Viking settlement (Vinland) to have been discovered on the mainland North American continent and thought to be the site of the Vinland settlement, where it took part in the celebrations with other replica Viking ships.
Numerous special events ensued in the wake of Icelander's momentous retracing of Leif Eirikson’s voyage.
In the year 1998, Gunnar Marel decided to sail the Icelander across the Atlantic as part of the millennial celebrations in the year 2000 of his ancestor Leif Erikson's voyage to Vinland.
According to a historian, Leif Eirikson was Gunnar Marel's ancestor 33 generations back in his mother's family. Leif was the first European to find America in the year 1000.
The principal sponsor of the voyage of the Icelander in the year 2000 was the Leif Eirikson Millennium Commission. The Commission organized nearly 230 cultural events at some 70 venues in the USA and Canada for the year 2000.
The Icelander set sail from Reykjavik on the 17th of June 2000, the Icelandic National Day, with Gunnar Marel skippering and a crew of eight including one woman. From there the ship sailed to Brattahlid in Greenland for the celebration of the Viking settlement attended by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
On the 28th of July, the ship arrived at L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, the single Viking settlement (Vinland) to have been discovered on the mainland North American continent and thought to be the site of the Vinland settlement, where it took part in the celebrations with other replica Viking ships.
Numerous special events ensued in the wake of Icelander's momentous retracing of Leif Eirikson’s voyage.
Captain Gunnar Marel in the center celebrated in Iceland after sailing the Icelander Viking ship to America in the year 2000.
The Icelander Viking ship on display
In the year 2002, the Icelander Viking ship was purchased by an Icelandic consortium led by the region of the Southern Peninsula (Reykjanes). In the year 2008, the Icelander ship was moved to a new Viking World museum (www.vikingworld.is/) where this magnificent Viking ship is the museum’s main attraction today.
The Viking World Museum in Reykjanesbaer, Iceland, where the Icelander Viking ship is on display
In the Viking World museum, the ship rests on pillars that lift it one and a half meters up into the air. This makes it possible for people to walk straight under the ship and enjoy its remarkable structure.
The Order of the Falcon awarded Gunnar Marel
In the year 2002, Gunnar Marel was awarded the Order of the Falcon by the Icelandic state for his work with the Viking ship the Icelander (Íslendingur), which he built and also sailed from Iceland to America in the year 2000 to commemorate the 1,000-year anniversary of the voyage of Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson to North America.
The Order of the Falcon is the highest honor that the Icelandic state can bestow on individuals.
The Order of the Falcon is the highest honor that the Icelandic state can bestow on individuals.