Built as the Arctic Pioneer in 1937 at Selby for the Boyd Line the Arctic Pioneer entered War Service as a Anti-Submarine Minesweeper, On 27 May 1942 she was sunk. She was later raised and in 1947 was rebuilt in West Hartlepool by William Gray and Company. After Been renamed the Arctic Viking H452 she returned to her Hull owners Boyd Line and continued her fishing career. On 27 05 1956 the Arctic Viking was in collision with the St Celestin of Hull off Bear Island, The St Celestin subsequently sank. 2 years later while preparing for her next trip to the White Sea on the 20 Aug 1958 a fire broke out which was believed to have been a boiler flashback, the whole centre part of the vessel suffered extensive damage, a fire boat and several shore tenders managed to contain the blaze and after a months refit to the damaged vessel she was ready to sail again. 3 years later and her 3rd disaster struck. A disaster that would see the vessel lost and five men lose their lives.

On 18th Oct 1961 the Arctic Viking was on her way home from the Norwegian fishing grounds, after she had left Hull on the 27th Sep with a crew of 20, J Kiel the 3rd hand was placed ashore in Hammerfest Norway after receiving a head injury on the outward voyage. As the Arctic Viking passed Flamborough she was fighting a heavy storm, her fish pounds were full but she was only hours from home. Although there had been previous opinions of skippers and crew that the vessel handled badly there was nothing to indicate to the crew that fatefull night that anything was wrong with the vessel. In the early hours the vessel suddenly heeled over and took on a 20º list as her port side filled with water. The helmsman eased the vessel and the ship cleared itself of water through the scuppers and righted herself. Within a four hour period the vessel was to lay over to port with a list once or twice again, the skipper nosing her into the wind and easing her speed on these occasions managed to clear the vessel and right her. At approximately 0830 while stopped to repair a pipe enabelling the vessel to take salt water into the empty starboard fuel tank as ballast, to correct a small list to port.the vessel was hit by two huge waves straight after each other, the Arctic Viking keeled over and eventually capsized as the second wave hit. After the second wave hit the vessel it took a mere 2 minutes before she was completely capsized, although though she continued to float upside down for almost four hours. the crewmen had released a collapsible liferaft and some managed to board her, others like the skipper and mate jumping straight into the huge waves with no lifebelt, 5 men were no so lucky and went down with the vessel or were washed away. 14 men now were afloat in an open liferaft in mountainous seas, for over an hour they floated as they sent up distress flares, the Polish Lugger Derkacz, Commanded by Skipper Ryszard Sleska had been dodging the weather when she spotted the distress flares of the Arctic Viking, The rescue of the crewmen from the raft took almost four hours as the Derkacz battled the heavy seas and each man was taken of the life raft by rope. Not been able to turn the vessel the skipper of the Derkacz kept her head to wind dodging and it would be almost 2 days after the Arctic Viking sank that the rescued crew would arrive in Hull. The crew and skipper of the Derkacz were given a hero`s welcome. A Civic reception was held in the Guildhall on 21 Oct for the Skipper and crew of the Darkacz, having already received a pair of binoculars from Mr Tom Boyd DSO , Skipper Sleska also received from the Lord Mayor a plaque bearing the city's coat-of-arms and a gift for his wife. Mr Boyd DSO then presented the skipper and mate with gold watches and a silver cigarette case to each of the crew.