Colin Archer

Colin Archer (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.

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 both the North Pole and later Antarctica. He also designed a sturdy sailing vessel type for the Redningsselskapet (a Norwegian association dedicated to rescuing sailors) 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.

Archer spent a lot of time calculating how an efficient ship body should be constructed. Even to this day, people still consult his work when constructing new ships. He is credited with over 200 vessels.

Two lifeboats were named after him; the Colin Archer of 1892 and a later Colin Archer .

External links

• Colin Archer bio
• Commercial boat builder with excellent picture of Colin Archer's first rescue boat, still preserved
• Home page (Norwegian) of RS1, first Colin Archer rescue boat
• The Fram Museum