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HISTORY
Colin Archer (22 July
1832 - 3 February 1921) was a naval architect and shipbuilder
from Larvik, Norway. He was born of Scottish parents who
emigrated to Norway in 1825.
Prior to his career as a naval architect in Norway, he spent
time in Queensland, Australia, with his brother, Thomas. While
there, he sailed with a cargo up the Fitzroy River, Queensland
"when it was almost if not quite unknown".
He and his shipyard were known for building durable and safe
ships. The most notable single ship built by Colin Archer was
the Fram, which participated in expeditions to the North Pole,
and later Roald Amundsen's historic first expedition to the
South Pole. He also designed a sturdy sailing vessel class for
the Redningsselskapet (The Norwegian Lifeboat institution) which
was used for many years and now is referred to as a Colin
Archer. Fram is now preserved in the Fram Museum on Bygdøy,
Oslo, Norway. The prototype lifeboat "Colin Archer RS 1" is
still afloat and in use as a floating museum.
Archer spent a lot of time calculating how an efficient hull
should be designed. Even to this day, people still consult his
work when designing new ships. He is credited with over 200
vessels.
Two rescue ships were named after him; the Colin Archer of 1893
and a later Colin Archer.
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