Editing Colin Archer (section)

=== Polar ships ===
[[File:Frams avreise fra Bergen, 1893 (4594992962).jpg|thumb|''Fram'' loaded heavily at the start on its first voyage 1893.|left]]
The most notable single ship built by Colin Archer was the ''[[Fram (ship)|Fram]]'', used by [[Fridtjof Nansen]] in his expedition attempt to the [[North Pole]] 1893-96 and by [[Roald Amundsen]]'s 1911 [[Amundsen's South Pole expedition|historic expedition]] as the first to the [[South Pole]]. ''Fram'' is now preserved in the Fram Museum on [[Bygdøy]], [[Oslo]], Norway.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nbl.snl.no/Colin_Archer|title=Colin Archer, Skipskonstruktør, Verftseier|author=Tor Borch Sannes|publisher=Norsk biografisk leksikon|accessdate=May 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913183822/https://nbl.snl.no/Colin_Archer|archive-date=September 13, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1886 the 3-masted bark ''Pollux'' seal and whaling ship was built to Colin Archer's design in Arendal. In 1897 it was bought by [[Carsten Borchgrevink]], taken to Archer's yard, and fitted out for polar expeditions. Renamed ''[[SS Southern Cross (1886)|Southern Cross]]'' it was sailed to Antarctica during 1898-1900 (the [[Southern Cross Expedition]]), where Borchgrevink made important discoveries and was the first man to step on land on the mainland of Antarctica. Information from this expedition was later used by [[Roald Amundsen]] for his expedition to the South Pole.

In 1898 the Italian prince and explorer [[Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi]] wanted to do polar expeditions. He travelled to Norway and consulted the famous polar explorer [[Fridtjof Nansen]]. In 1899 Amedo bought the former whaling vessel ''[[Jason (ship)|Jason]],'' renamed it ''Stella Polare'' and took it to Colin Archer's shipyard. The interior was stripped out and new beams, diagonals and knees heavily strengthened the ship. Amedo set off in June 1899 and ''Stella Polare'' had a difficult time but survived thanks to Archer's work.

In 1899, Archer also fitted ''[[Zarya (polar ship)|Zarya]]'' for the [[Russian polar expedition of 1900–02]]. ''Zarya'' was strengthened with internal frames and beams, and deckhouses were added. The rig was changed to [[Barquentine|barkentine]] (square sail on foremast only). In October 1899 the ship was certified by Norwegian authorities for a three-year expedition in the Arctic.