MK Remi Ketil is a 64-foot fishing vessel built at Rana skipsbyggeri AS in 1967, as building number 7.
At first, the boat belonged to Magnar Andreasen in Tverlandet, and the boat was named after Magnar's then one-year-old son. Remi Ketil. Later it was sold to Vesterålen where it was renamed "Høyken". In 2004 the fishing vessel was taken over by a company in Meløy. Here it was eventually condemned and the Meløy fishing history association took over the boat in 2006. It was renamed again, this time to "Skarsfjord".
The Meløy fishing history association eventually lost many members. The two who were finally left realized that they could no longer manage the boat. It was put up for sale, and several people showed interest in securing it. When interested parties appeared, the owners decided to transfer the boat free of charge.
In April 2016, it was brought home to Hemnesberget. A cooperative secured initial capital for the restoration work, until the Hemnes Boatbuilding Historical Association (HBBF) took over ownership, with paid membership and thus support from both private individuals and businesses.
The goal was to restore M/F Remi Ketil, and then to maintain and operate the vessel. The boat will be located at Hemnesberget, as a floating documentation of industrial history and boatbuilding history. It will also be used for various purposes in the surrounding area, as a living cultural monument, boat museum and competence center, with dissemination through exciting, modern technology.
Currently, it is not allowed to take anyone other than members on trips, but several successful member trips have been arranged despite the fact that the boat is still undergoing extensive restoration. Extensive cooperation with the local school system is planned, and the boat will eventually be used for schoolchildren, tourists and others with an interest in fishing, fjord and archipelago trips.
In 2018, seven members took the Recreational Skipper Exam (D5L) at their own expense to be able to navigate a boat the size of Remi Ketil. In order to be able to bring paying Visitors, e.g. tourists, currently require approved quality systems and a skipper with a class D4 certificate.
Contact the Hemnes Boat Building Historical Association if you are interested in experiencing a nice trip with Remi Ketil.