Colin Archer

Colin Archer
Portrait of Colin Archer, 1893 or earlier
Born	Colin Archer (1832-07-22)22 July 1832 Larvik, Norway
Died	8 February 1921(1921-02-08) (aged 88) Larvik, Norway
Occupation	naval architect and shipbuilder
Spouse(s)	Karen Sophie Wiborg (1838-1908)
Children	5
Awards	Order of St. Olav -1886 Fram-medaljen - 1896

Order of St. Olav -1886

Colin Archer (22 July 1832 – 8 February 1921) was a Norwegian naval architect and shipbuilder from Larvik, Norway. He was known for building safe and durable ships including the Fram used in both Fridtjof Nansen's and Roald Amundsen's polar expeditions.

Colin Archer was born at Tollerodden in Larvik, Norway. He was the second youngest of thirteen sibling born to parents who had immigrated to Norway from Scotland in 1825. Prior to his career as a naval architect in Norway, he spent time in Queensland, Australia, with several of his brothers, including Thomas Archer. While there he became a farmer and administrator. He also sailed with cargo up the Fitzroy River, Queensland.

In 1861, Archer returned home to Larvik and undertook the study of practical and theoretical shipbuilding. Early in the 1870s he began to build pleasure craft. He and his shipyard became known for building durable and safe ships. The most notable single ship built by Colin Archer was the Fram, which participated in Fridtjof Nansen's expeditions to the North Pole and, later, in Roald Amundsen's historic first expedition to the South Pole. Fram is now preserved in the Fram Museum on Bygdøy, Oslo, Norway.

Archer also designed sturdy rescue vessels for the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue (Norsk Selskab til Skibbrudnes Redning). In 1893, RS 1 Colin Archer was launched and Archer continued to improve the boat type until he closed the business in 1909. This class of sailing ships were used for many years and now are referred to as a Colin Archer. Several other original vessels belonging to the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue are still sailing including the Frithjof Wiese RS40.