Olav was born in 1954 and he is from Høyanger. He was born and raised on a boat and by the seaboard. As a 22-year-old he got sick of using his father's boat and bought his own. Since then, he has had two smaller fishing boats and in 1994 he converted to sailing � a 40 ft Colin Archer, which was later sold along with the house to pay for S/Y Nirvana.

Maritime experience:

Torpedo man on submarine � �Kobben klassen�- Norwegian Navy

When boarding S/Y Nirvana, he is welcomed as a worthy memeber of the crew with a lick from �assistant commander� , Kivok.

Coast Fisher with drifting nets along the coast and netfishing in the Sogne Fjord

Has worked offshore as a geologist for more than 20 years all over the Norwegian shelf.

Sailed across the North Sea several times and to Svalbard through the Hinlopen strait twice when the attempt to sail around the island failed.

Sailed in Holland and sailed S/Y Nirvana to Norway without any interior fittings.

Holds a Coast Skipper Cl 2 lisence from 1981 which is now converted to Coast Skipper Cl B lisence .

Civil scuba-diving lisence.

Longliner, netfisher � Shetland, Faroe Isles, North Sea and the Barents Sea

Kivok is a genuine Akita Inu and a real shipsdog. He is afraid of the water and is therefore very particular about staying aboard. He likes boats of all sizes and basically any weather, except rain. He is at his happiest when he can lie outside on deck, safe and dry, while Nirvana is on its way. He loves fish and, as his master, particularly freshly boiled Herring. Otherwise, Kivok is an excellent watch-dog and the tourists along the wharfs love taking his picture.

Bjørn is slightly older, born in 1953, and he is from Sogndal in the Sogne Fjord. He has worked as a professional photographer for 30 years, in the beginning as a portrait- and nature photographer, and from the 90s also a film producer. He has won about 70 � 80 awards for his photographs. Bjørn is a philosophic soul and participates in most activities in the mountains, in the woods and at sea. He does not have much experience sailing, but returned from the expedition to Svalbard with 35 video tapes and 2500 pictures. �It was like sailing at 1500 metres above seal level in Jotunheimen�.

Bjørn will make professional documentaries from our expeditions.