For all you Scilly boffins who ever wondered how the Steamship Company freight boat the “Gry Maritha” got her name, you will be pleased to hear that Scilly News has contacted the daughter of the man who built her. The name has an interesting tale as she goes on to explain…
The “Gry” was built in 1981 in a place called Kolvereid in the middle of Norway. She was set on water in July that year, and my grandmother was the “godmother” when they gave her the name. The reason why it was called Gry Maritha” is, of course, that it’s my name. Earlier, my father owned a boat that was named after my brother (Agnar jr.),so when I was born, it was already clear that the ship should have my name. In the beginning they wanted to name her “Gro Maritha”, but they did not get permission by the government. It was too alike the name of another ship. Then it was changed to Gry Maritha. So in a way you can say the name was chosen after the ship, not Me.
Now a little bit about my father, Tor Kristian Sevaldsen. His family has been working on the sea for many generations. It was my great-great grandfather who first started what now has become a “tradition” in the family. He built his own ship out of a big sailboat; he was captain on it. After that, the family has had 10 or 11 ships. My father started working with my grandfather in the holidays when he was 13 years old. At 17 he started working there full time. Since then he has always been working at sea, as captain on his own ships.
After he sold “Gry” in 1989 he bought a new ship, which he also called “Gry Maritha” (you can see it on (http://www.rimship.no)).Its bigger, and older, than the one he sold to the Islands. Today he works together with my brother Agnar, who co-owns the ship with him. They are probably the last generation of sailors in the Sevaldsen family…(there has been 8 that I know about, all captains)
It’s sad…but I don’t think there will be a place for small firms like that here in Norway until my son grows up…
— Gry Maritha Sevaldsen