When Ice and Boats Collide

摘要

As a boat designer, Colin Archer is a familiar name to WoodenBoat readers. On our online Forum (see forum.woodenboat.com) his lovely dinghy designs are often praised for their aesthetic features. But Archer, a Norwegian of Scottish heritage, might best be described as one who, first and foremost, designed boats to survive the utmost hazards that icy seas could hurl at high-latitude mariners. None of his designs more poignantly demonstrates his dedication to sailor survival than the schooner FRAM, designed for Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen and launched in 1892.