Klassiske Linjer nr 10 1999 - Klassisk Treseiler Klubb

Colin Archer – his life
PETER ENNALS
Despite his English name, Colin
Archer was a Norwegian, He
was born 1832 in Larvik. His
father and mother were Scots.
His father, William, as a young
man bred in Perthshire, became
a partner in a firm importing
timber from Scandinavia to
Newborough on the Firth of
Tay. During a business trip to
Norway in 1819 William Archer
visited Larvik, a thriving seaport
then. He liked what he saw.
The economic depression
which followed the Napoleonic
wars almost ruined the timber
trade and William Archer felt
there was little opportunity left
for him in Scotland, so in the
summer of 1825 he decided to
emigrate to Norway with his
family, which then numbered
seven children. The Archer
The wide deck of a
Colin Archer
Regatta at Risør.A mix of metre
boats and Colin Archers!
family bought a house with
several acres of land on a rocky
headland which jutted out into
the Larvik fjord. It was known
as «Tolderodden». Five more
children were born to the family,
including Colin.
As a small boy, Colin was
fascinated by the boats and
ships nearby. Unlike his older
brothers who emigrated to
Australia, Colin stayed at home
after he had finished his
schooling. He was employed as
an apprentice at Michael
Treschow’s shipyard, and at the
same time attended evening
classes in navigation.
In 1850 his father decided to
send him to Australia to join his
brothers. But he travelled the
long way round, via America,
and prospected for gold in
California. He also did
carpentry to make ends meet.
In 1852 he visited Hawaii before
finally arriving at his brothers’
sheep farms. Colin stayed for
almost ten years and sailed a
small ketch to supply sheep
stations more easily reached by
sea. He made quite a lot of
money, but when his father
died in 1862 he returned to
Norway. He decided to remain
in Larvik and develop his
passion for sailing and boats.
Although he had no formal
training, he decided to make a
career of designing and building
small craft. He had two
building docks constructed
behind his house. This was
where most of his boats were
built. He also built large ships,
such as the FRAM, in which
Roald Amundsen much later
sailed to the south Pole.
He married a Norwegian girl
from Kragerø and built himself
a smaller house in the grounds
of Tolderodden. By 1879 Colin
Archer’s technical ability had
developed considerably, and
his reputation as a designer
spread beyon d southern
Norway. He was elected a
member of the Institute of
Naval Architects, was awarded
the Cross of the Order of St
Olav in 1886, and received the
silver medal of the Royal
Geographical society. These
honours were bestowed upon
him for his achievements in
designing sailing rescue vessels
(hulls were double planked)
and pilot boats – his typical
ultra sturdy double-ender
yachts with a gaff rig.
He also enjoyed his leisure,
particularly going for day sails
with picnics to the neighbouring
skerries outside
Larvik. He was a most cultured
man, appreciating English
poetry and writing many letters
to a wide circle of friends at
hhome and abroad.
In 1909, at the age of 78, he
decided to retire, but he was to
live for a further 12 years. He
remained in good health
almost until his death in 1921,
and keenly followed the voyages
of the vessels he had built.
At his funeral, Johan Anker
said: «As long as there are
sailing craft on our waters, so
long will his memory live».
Anker’s words proved to be
true. Today I can often read in
the boat columns that there is a
«Colin Archer» for sale. But
few of the boats sold under his
name today are likely to have
been built or designed by him
personally - his designs have
been popular models to copy.
KLASSISKE LINJER NR.10 MAI 1999
59