Valkyrien


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epost@valkyrien.tk

I, Øystein, am the captain on the boat, and will lead here around the world. Additional crewmembers will vary a long the way. My childhood friend Vidar Krovik signed on at Gibraltar. He will probably stay onboard until we reach New Zealand in November 2007. From that point I have no agreements with people who want to join, so I am prepared to do spend a lot of the sailing solo.

Captain
Øystein Djønne

Born: 1981
Hometown: Kopervik, Karmøy
E-mail: kaptein@valkyrien.tk
Signed on: May 1. 2006

I have lived next to the sea from I was 4 years old, and a lot of my time was spend on activities related to the sea. My boat experiences started on my family’s 16 feet long wooden rowing boat with a 4 hp engine. As I grew older I bought my own small boats. From the age of 15 I started to dream about a circumnavigation as captain on my own boat. In April 2002 I bought my first sailboat, a Maxi 95, which I was planning to live in. I had never been sailing before, but I soon found it very rewarding.

After 2 years with the Maxi I sold it and bought my next sailboat together with my cousin. It was a Bavaria 32 which also functioned as my apartment all year round. When I after a year sold the Bavaria I bought the Leisure 22, which I have been living in since May 2005 and are really enjoying myself. In 2002 I started to collect information about circumnavigations. After 4 years I have done my best preparing for the route, the equipment and the financial. I have lived in a boat since 2002 so I know a little about what is expecting me. It is probably many who mean I have done the wrong choice of boat, and time will show if they are right. One thing is for sure, I have started on realization of my dream: “Circumnavigate as captain on my own boat”

Helmsman
Vidar Krovik

Born: 1981
Hometown: Kopervik, Karmøy
Telephone: + 47 41 41 84 02
E-mail: fokkeslask@valkyrien.tk
Signed on: September 19. 2006

I have been born and raised in Kopervik, and just like Øystein spent much time with boats. My father is an active boat enthusiast that brought us on boat journeys all across the western and southern Norway, and two trips to Stockholm. I have inherited my father’s enthusiasm for boats and have always been very found of the journeys at sea. The boating interest led me to move to Trondheim in 2000 to study for Master in Science in Marine Technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Like many others I have thought of circumnavigation as one of life’s biggest adventures. It has been tempting to live in a boat and experience the world without the trouble of time pressure that comes with flights or the search for a place to stay. Even though many have a dream of circumnavigate, it seldom becomes reality. It would probably be the same with my dream if it had not been for Øystein being so determined on his planning and preparation for this journey over so many years, and have offered me a place on board. I am a little sceptical of spending 3,5 year at sea, so the preliminary plan is to join him for one year. At June 12, 2006 I am finished with my degree at the university and will then work at a summer job until the middle of September. I will then fly down to the Canary Island and sign on Valkyrien. When we have crossed the Pacific and closing in on New Zealand I will take a flight back home.

Even though I have spent all my life in and around boats, I have until recently had very little sail experience. That changed after Øystein bought his first sailboat, and we started to have many sailing trips together in all of his 3 sailboats. It is hard for a motor boat person like me, which has been raised to look down on sailors, to admit that I have really started to get keen on sailing. I have much more to learn, but are looking forward to get that knowledge during the journey. I have full confidence in Captain Øystein, and believe it is very important that we know each other so well when we are going to live so close together in a so small boat over such a long period of time. I am so looking forward to this journey, and as I said it is a dream shared by so many people, and we are now living out this dream.

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