The specification was specific: "I intend to have a ship built that is as small and as strong as possible; it should be just big enough to hold coal and provisions for twelve men for five years ... The most important thing about this vessel is that it is built according to a principle that allows it to withstand the pressure of the ice. It must have such sloping sides that the ice cannot gain a firm hold when it is pressed ... but instead the ice should lift it upwards." So wrote Fridtjof Nansen in his expedition report "In Night and Ice", published in 1897, about the basic idea for his polar research vessel "Fram".
A big goal with the expedition yacht
This idea had emerged 13 years earlier from reading a newspaper. In 1884, meteorology professor Henrik Mohn presented his theory of an east-west current across the Arctic Ocean in an article. With a suitable ship, Nansen wanted to drift across the geographic North Pole, trapped in the ice, and thus be the first to reach it. Scientific observations and measurements were also to be carried out from on board.
Other interesting expedition yachts:
Born in 1861, Nansen first sailed the Arctic waters between Greenland, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen in 1882 as a zoology student on the seal trawler "Viking"; he then worked as curator of the zoological department of the Bergen Museum. In 1888, he was the first person to cross the Greenland ice sheet on skis and then spent the winter in Godthåb. Back in Norway, he became a celebrated hero, took up the post of curator of the zoological collection at the University of Kristiania and wrote a book about his Greenland expedition.
In 1890, he presented his new plan to the Norwegian Geographical Society: to drift across the North Pole in a ship the like of which had never been seen before, trapped in the ice. Parliament authorised 280,000 Norwegian kroner. There were also numerous private donors. This enabled Fridtjof Nansen to commission the renowned ship designer Colin Archer (1832-1921) from Larvik to build a polar research vessel according to his ideas. His closest confidant was his friend Otto Sverdrup. The captain had already been involved in the crossing of the Greenland ice sheet.
Adapted to the conditions
Archer had created three models and four plans for the expedition yacht before construction began. Despite this, the Nansen-Archer-Sverdrup trio constantly changed and improved details during the year and a half of construction. The final result was a ship with a hull length of 39 metres and a displacement of 80 tonnes (loaded). It has an unusually round hull cross-section so that it is lifted by the ice pressure and not crushed. However, the sailing characteristics suffered greatly as a result. In rough seas, it is said to have been almost unbearable on board the "Fram".
The three-masted gaff schooner with triple expansion steam engine was launched on 26 October 1892 at Colin Archer's shipyard after Nansen's wife Eva had christened the ship "Fram" (pronounced with a short "a", "forward" in Norwegian). From 1893 to 1896, Fridtjof Nansen and his twelve crew members travelled on a drift voyage (see info box). Although they did not reach the North Pole, the expedition leader drew a thoroughly positive conclusion at the end of his report "In Night and Ice". "Based on our experiences, researchers will be able to equip themselves even better. However, it is impossible to imagine a more appropriate method for the scientific investigation of unknown regions than ours. On board a ship of this type, researchers can settle down just as comfortably as on a fixed scientific station. They can take their laboratories with them and set up the finest investigations of all kinds."
The strengths of the expedition yacht
Otto Sverdrup soon planned a second voyage with the "Fram". However, it had become apparent that the ship owned by the Norwegian state was listing too much, taking on too much water and had compartments that were too small for the crew members. So a new foredeck was built forward from the engine room at Colin Archer's shipyard. This created another spacious saloon, three cabins to starboard and port and two workrooms. The thermal insulation of the compartments was improved with additional panelling and a 30-centimetre-thick layer of cork. A spacious galley was installed between the two compartments amidships and aft. A so-called loose keel was fitted under the keel, which increased the draught slightly to improve steering. In addition, the foremast was raised and the anchor capstan replaced with a more stable iron one.
Otto Sverdrup set off with the converted expedition yacht "Fram" to explore the Canadian Arctic west of Greenland. Although the scientific yield of this second of three expeditions by the polar research vessel was enormous, it is the least known. Experts claim that the "Fram" was in the best condition on that voyage, which is why it is on display in the Fram Museum today.
The schooner can be accessed from the second floor of the roof-only building. The companionway on the starboard side leads below deck. At the cooker is a figure representing Adolf Lindstrøm, the ship's cook who probably travelled the furthest in the polar regions. He not only accompanied the second and third expeditions of the "Fram", but also travelled with Roald Amundsen on his "Gjøa" (YACHT 8/18) and "Maud".
Several rooms and a paraffin stove
Moving aft, we enter the so-called Nansen saloon, which is adjacent to the four single cabins and two four-bed cabins that were only on board on the first voyage. It was here in the saloon that the 13 crew members celebrated their first Christmas underway on 25 December 1893, when the outside temperature was minus 38 degrees Celsius. The "Julemeny" menu hangs on the bulkhead next to the bench with the carved dragon heads.
Heating was provided by a paraffin stove. 16 tonnes of fuel were on board for this purpose and for the lamps. There was also electric light in the saloon and the cabins. Fridtjof Nansen has been back on the "Fram" since 2017. The Swedish artist and model maker Cathrine Abrahamsson has created a very realistic likeness sitting on the bunk of his Chamber 1.
Further forward, the visitor enters the larger saloon with gramophone and piano. The crew members' personal belongings and equipment such as medical instruments and tools are on display in the six individual compartments and two workrooms.
This expedition yacht is a stunner
The mighty bowsprit can be marvelled at in the foredeck - although everything about this ship is mighty. The bow, for example, consists of three layers of oak and is 1.25 metres thick. The stem is additionally protected by iron profiles. In front of the foremast, the anchor chains run down to the lowest level of the ship, which is reached via a wide staircase. The coal for the steam engine was stored here in the hold. There were ballast water tanks to ensure balanced trim despite the consumption of coal. The massive construction of the "Fram" is impressively recognisable from its installation location. Considering that Colin Archer's shipyard had never been equipped with electricity, the construction of this ship is hard to believe.
Only hand-picked grown oak frames were used. Two were screwed together to achieve even greater strength. The spacing between the frames is only 60 centimetres. The space in between was filled with a mixture of pitch, tar and sawdust. The frames were additionally stiffened on the inside with diagonal struts and solid knees made of wood and iron. On the outside, two layers of oak wood were placed on the frames and the ice skin made of greenheart wood (from the laurel family) on top. Pitch pine planks were applied on the inside. A layer of tarred felt and insulation were added to the compartments. As a result, the sides have a thickness of an incredible 71 to 81 centimetres. The keel sole consists of two layers of pitch pine, which has a naturally high resin content that protects against rot. For the third expedition, during which Roald Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole, the steam engine was replaced by a 180 hp Swedish diesel engine.
Parts of the "Fram" are reused for new ship
After passing through the newly opened Panama Canal twice, the "Fram" returned to Norway in 1914. After 22 years, the expedition yacht was in such poor condition that it would have cost 150,000 Norwegian kroner to repair it. Roald Amundsen therefore decided to have the very similar "Maud" rebuilt for his future expeditions. The Norwegian government allowed the polar explorer to transfer all usable parts of the "Fram", such as the complete rigging, to this ship.
The cannibalised "Fram" then began to fall apart in the dock. In 1916, a Fram Committee was founded, which campaigned - with little success - for the long-term preservation of the important polar expedition yacht. It was not until 1925 that Captain Otto Sverdrup, as chairman of the committee, succeeded in raising the necessary funds for a refurbishment. Sailors and polar exploration fans from all over the world contributed to the costs (around one million euros in today's purchasing power) through donations.
The Fram Museum is created
On 20 May 1936, the Fram Museum was opened in the presence of King Haakon VII as an "eternal monument to Norwegian drive, will and strength". Four former crew members were also present: Sigurd Scott-Hansen (first voyage), Gunnar Isachsen (second), the cook Adolf Lindstrøm (second and third) and Oscar Wisting, who was with Amundsen at the South Pole during the third expedition. Considering the cargo on this voyage, the space available on the enormous deck today is put into perspective. In addition to 22 men, there were also ten sledges, 97 dogs, four pigs, six carrier pigeons and a canary on board.
The exhibition in the Fram Museum is continuously being expanded and improved. In February 2018, the rigging was checked and added to. The new rigging came onto the ship in 1929/30 and has not been changed since the "Fram" has been in the museum. The rigging team at the Hardanger Fartøyvernsenter in Norheimsund also gained a lot of insight into how work was carried out more than 80 years ago. Interesting, because the "Maud", Norway's third important polar research ship, returned home a few months ago after being salvaged in Cambridge Bay, Canada.
However, it will never match the fame of the legendary expedition yacht "Fram". As Thorvald Nilsen, captain of the "Fram", said during the third expedition after weathering a storm at Cape Horn: "This is the best seagoing ship in the world!"
This article first appeared in YACHT 2/2019.
Technical data expedition ship "Fram"
- Design/year of construction: C. Archer/1892
- Rigging: three-mast gaff schooner
- Hull length: 39 m
- Width: 11 m
- Draught: 3.75 m
- Weight: 80 tonnes
- Sail area: 600 m²
- Sail carrying capacity: 2.6
- Crew: 13-22 persons
