The famous Norwegian ship, whose name translates as “Forward”, reminds us of the glorious and fearless polar explorers. The Fram was created for the expedition of Fridtjof Nansen, who set the goal of reaching the North Pole with this ship. The creator of the ship, launched on October 26, 1892, is Colin Archer.

The design of the ship "Fram"

Fram became the strongest wooden ship in history. Its design features took into account the need to withstand the pressure of the ice surrounding the ship. The cross-section of the Fram hull resembles an egg, the thickness of the sides reaches 80 cm, and the bow - 120 cm. Italian oak was used as the material for the triple skin of the ship, and pine was used for the external “ice” skin. The waterproofness of the ship was ensured by bitumen with sawdust, poured into the space between closely spaced frames. Cork, felt, deer skins and decorative spruce panels were used to upholster the inside of the sides.

Fram Expeditions

In 1893-1896 The Fram took part in the Norwegian Polar Expedition led by Fridtjof Nansen, the goal of which was to explore the high Arctic latitudes and reach the North Pole. For the first time in history, a ship was frozen into pack ice for the purpose of drifting and conducting scientific research. As a result of this expedition, the boundaries of Franz Josef Land were clarified and the possibility of the existence of a polar continent was rejected. Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen were unable to reach the Pole by dog ​​sled, but they went further north than anyone before them.

In 1898-1902 Otto Sverdrup led an expedition to the Canadian Arctic Archipelago on the Fram. The result of this journey was the discovery of new islands and the exploration of the straits between them.

In 1910-1912 The Fram was a member of Roald Amundsen's Norwegian Antarctic Expedition, as a result of which, on December 14, 1911, people reached the South Pole for the first time in history. The journey was also marked by the discovery of the Transantarctic Mountains, the Axel Heiberg Glacier, and the study of other geographical, meteorological, glaciological and oceanographic phenomena.

Fram Museum

In 1935, the Fram, which had been restored to its original appearance, was placed in a museum telling the history of polar expeditions. Visitors can board the legendary vessel and inspect its interior and equipment.

In 1893 Fritof Nansen built the ship "Fram". Its body had a rounded egg-shaped shape, so the ice could not destroy it by squeezing it upward. Nansen pursued the goal of reaching the Northern Plus, drifting along with the ice. He failed, but during the entire journey, which lasted three years, the Fram remained unharmed. Here's how a maritime historian talks about it:

“If it were arranged so that the ship was frozen in the ice off the coast of Siberia, then it would certainly begin to drift towards the North Pole. This thought completely captured Nansen, who felt a passionate interest in everything that had to do with the North Pole. After some thought, he decided to build a ship in Larvik with especially strong frames. On July 22, 1893, on this ship named Fram, which later became one of the most famous research ships in the world, Nansen, together with 12 fellow countrymen, set off from Vardø on his risky journey. Fram sailed east along the coast of Siberia. There, north of the Lena delta, Nansen decided it was time to freeze into the pack ice.

True, it was not possible to achieve the goal of this unusual expedition, during which, perhaps for the first time in the history of navigation, the ship was “at rest” and the sea was “floating”. Frozen in an ice floe, Fram drifted into 450 km from the North Pole. And yet, its scientific results were as great as the heroism of its participants. Skeptics sitting near warm fireplaces called this project nothing more than “the suicidal plan of a crazy young man.” And indeed, Nansen almost died when, having left the ship, he went further to the Pole on a sled pulled by dogs.

The young Norwegian researcher convincingly proved that, unlike Greenland or Antarctica, the Central Arctic is not an ice-covered continent, but a deep-sea basin dominated by a pronounced East-West Current. Nansen was the first to sail a ship (though in a very unusual way!) across this practically unnavigable sea. After all, Fram is for 1055 days drifted from the Lena Delta to Spitsbergen. Only there the ship managed to free itself from the ice.

Fram's drift also showed that the ship is capable of acting in a hitherto unknown role, namely: as an auxiliary means for scientific research, which, in turn, themselves benefits navigation. Indeed, in order to establish whether the Arctic Ocean, despite its icy shell, is of interest for navigation, it was first necessary to at least prove the existence of the ocean itself. Nowadays, icebreakers usually sail along it with convoys of ships astern, and submarines glide under its ice dome.”

H. Hanke, People, ships, oceans (6000-year adventure of navigation), L., “Shipbuilding”, 1976, p. 320-321.

In 1896, the Fram returned safely to Norway.

Marine site Russia no November 03, 2016 Created: November 03, 2016 Updated: November 03, 2016 Views: 1436

"FRAM" ("Fram" - forward), a Norwegian polar expedition vessel, a 3-masted schooner, specially designed for scientific research and navigation in difficult ice conditions. Built in 1892 by shipwright K. Archer, commissioned by Fridtjof Nansen and with his participation.

At Nansen’s request, the polar ship first of all had to be a “safe and warm refuge” in the ice. The Fram received a rounded, full shape with a smooth surface, without protruding parts, so that the ice could not crush the ship, but squeezed it to the surface.

The stem of the “Frame” is made of 3 oak beams with a total thickness of 1.25 m. Between the beams of the double sternpost there were 2 wells for lifting the rudder and propeller to the deck in case of unexpected onslaught of ice.

The total thickness of the 3-layer “Frame” skin is 70 - 80 cm. The frames are made of selected Italian oak, folded in pairs and bolted together. The top and deck are covered with boards 10 cm thick, the hull is divided into 3 compartments by waterproof bulkheads.
The ceiling, decks, and bulkheads are equipped with thermal insulation made of multilayer gaskets of tarred felt, cork, and linoleum. The galley and cabins (4 singles and 2 4-berths) are located around the wardroom, which makes its thermal insulation particularly reliable.

Exposition of the Fram ship in Oslo

The lighting dynamo could be driven by the main engine, by wind, or by hand. The Fram had 8 boats, 2 of them emergency ones, capable of accommodating the entire crew and provisions for several months. In 1893 - 1896, the Fram drifted in the Arctic from the New Siberian Islands to the North.
In the Spitsbergen region under the leadership of Nansen (until 1895), then under the leadership. O. Sverdrup, for the first time in history reaching 85 ° 56 "N. In 1898 - 1902, Sverdrup sailed on the Fram in the northern part of the Canadian Arctic archipelago. In 1910 - 1912. R. Amundsen sailed on the Fram in Antarctica.

Nowadays the Fram is installed in a special pavilion at the Norwegian Maritime Museum in Oslo as a monument ship.

Displacement 402 tons.

Length 39 m.

Width 11m.

The power of the steam engine is 162 kW, the draft is 3.75 m, the speed in calm water is 6-7 knots.

In 1893 - 1896, the Norwegian traveler Fridtjof Nansen made a voyage that his contemporaries called “pure madness” or “voluntary suicide.” Especially for the needs of polar research and long-term drift in pack ice, the wooden sail-motor schooner “Fram” (translated into Russian as “forward”) was built. The author of the project was Fridtjof Nansen himself, designer Colin Archer, construction was carried out under the supervision of Otto Sverdrup. Fram was launched on October 26, 1892. Nansen decided to move through the Northeast Passage, it was planned to go as far north as possible through open water, after which he would moor to an ice floe and leave the rest to the ice.

In 1883, the remains of items from an unsuccessful expedition on the ship Jeannette under the command of American Navy Lieutenant George De Long were found on the east coast of Greenland. This expedition crashed in 1881 northeast of the New Siberian Islands. This 3-year drift in the ice gave Fridtjof Nansen the idea of ​​using ice drift with the help of powerful Arctic underwater currents from east to west to explore vast polar territories. Norwegian meteorologist Professor Henrik Mohn published an article in 1884 in which he analyzed these findings and confirmed Nansen's guesses about the existence of a transpolar current. Mon's article became the basis for the idea of ​​an expedition to the Pole.

Nansen quite deliberately froze into the ice shell in order to drift, as he expected for at least three years, along with the ice to the North Pole. The Norwegian made very thoughtful preparations for the difficult voyage and drift in the ice; provisions were taken not for three years, but for five years, equipment and equipment corresponded to the most severe conditions. Nansen selected 13 of the most reliable Normans from 300 applicants for his team. The Norwegian team was like a single whole - a close-knit team. In 1893, the Russian Arctic explorer Eduard Tol, fulfilling Nansen’s request, set up food warehouses in case the Fram, which was preparing for a three-year voyage, spent the winter.

The Fram sailed from Vardø on June 24, 1893. Until July 15, the ship sailed along the coast of Norway, loading supplies, and Nansen gave a series of public appearances to cover the financial shortfalls of the expedition.

On July 29, the Fram entered the Yugra Shar, a strait between the Yugra Peninsula and Vaygach Island, connecting the Barents and Kara Seas. The Kara Sea was crossed safely, ending up abeam the Yenisei on August 18. By September 7, the expedition was off the Taimyr Peninsula. On September 9 we crossed Cape Chelyuskin. On October 5, 1893, the start of the drift was officially announced. On October 9, the Fram design was tested in practice: the first ice compression occurred. It was not until May 19, 1894 that the Fram crossed 81°N latitude, moving at an average speed of 1.6 miles per day. By the end of the summer of 1894, Nansen was convinced that the ship would not reach the Pole, and firmly decided to go on a sleigh ride in 1895.

By March 1895, the Fram drifted north of the islands of the Franz Josef Land archipelago and ended up at 84° north latitude. Carefully analyzing the ice situation, F. Nansen understood that the drifting ice would not only not pass through the North Pole, as he had hoped, but would not even bring him any closer. It turns out that his idea cannot be realized?

Nansen makes a firm decision - to get to the North Pole on foot: on skis, on boats, on sleds. Nansen said goodbye to the ship's crew, handing over control of the expedition to the brave captain Otto Sverdrup, hoping that he would lead the ship out of ice captivity and return to his native shores. The brave and decisive Norman and his assistant lieutenant of the reserve of the Norwegian fleet, an experienced meteorologist and fireman, or, more simply, a jack of all trades, Hjalmar Johanson, the two of them set off on dog sleds to storm the Pole. But they were not able to reach the northern top of the world. Due to very difficult travel conditions, although both were incredibly hardy, physically strong, good skiers and excellent shooters, excellent, as they would say now, biathletes, having reached the parallel of 86°14´ N, they soberly assessed the emerging situation and did not expose exposed themselves to unpredictable dangers and turned south towards the islands of the Franz Josef Land archipelago and reached the base of the British Jackson expedition at Cape Flora.

On August 13, 1896, F. Nansen and J. Johansen returned to their homeland on the British yacht “Windward”.

After the departure of F. Nansen and J. Johansen from the Fram in March 1895, the ship continued to drift westward, and after another winter in the summer of 1896 it found itself near the northern islands of the Spitsbergen archipelago, captain Otto Sverdrup managed to free himself from ice captivity and successfully return home to the port of Tromso on August 20, 1896 without significant damage and with a full crew. The Fram's drift lasted three years and three months.

However, I left the most interesting things about Oslo for dessert. You probably guessed it - I'm talking about the schooner "Fram", the brainchild of Colin Archer and one of the most legendary ships in the history of navigation.
He has three polar expeditions to his credit with scientific discoveries of world significance: Nansen's Arctic drift (1893-1896), Sverdrup's exploration of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (1898-1902) and the pinnacle of his career - Roald Amundsen's Antarctic expedition to the South Pole (1910-1912).

It is not surprising that the expeditioners boarded the Fram with some excitement: is there something waiting for us there? what will we see? I must say that our expectations were completely justified and we did not regret after that we stopped in the Norwegian capital, despite some dullness of the general impressions of the city - “Fram” rehabilitated everything! And in general, if you haven’t seen Fram, then, in my opinion, you haven’t been to Oslo.
* * *
However, this ship at one time could well have been lost to history when it rotted in Buenos Aires in the mid-1920s, no longer needed by anyone and with its rigging removed. As usual in such a case, his fate was decided by a handful of enthusiasts who were concerned with his salvation and restoration of the interior. And then the state got involved, realizing after some time that the Fram is not just a ship, but also an expression of the Norwegian national spirit, a witness to the glorious deeds of brave explorers - and, moreover, part of the identity of this nation. In 1935, it became a museum ship, and even the Nazis did not touch it during the years of occupation.
And now we can watch it too.
Let's get on board!
I warn you, the post is long, there are a lot of illustrations - fifty.

From the Oslofjord, if you approach by water, the hut with the Fram can be seen from afar (yellow, in the center), and to the right of it is the Kon-Tiki and Ra museum. However, we need to get off at the second pier - first the boat from the Town Hall will take us much to the right, at some distance from this place.

View of Museum "Frama" from the shore. Nearby is the second hut, there is another ship there, belonging to the Maritime Museum, we no longer had time to see it.

The Fram Museum positions itself as global, not local - and therefore at the entrance there are greetings in the main languages ​​of the planet, except Norwegian - in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Chinese.

Inside this “hut” the legendary ship itself stands, as if in a dry dock. This is correct, since the purpose of storage is to ensure the complete safety of the relic for posterity. He is too important for Norway.

Front view of the Fram. For scale, there are people in the frame and the first, “bottom” line of stands with various exhibits.

Near the stem stands Nansen, the leader of the first expedition and the customer of the ship, who determined its parameters (it was suggested that it was Archer, but in my opinion, it was Nansen).

"Fram" is considered the strongest wooden ship ever built. Archer created the Fram specifically for the Arctic expedition of Fridtjof Nansen, who intended to freeze into the Arctic ice and use drift to reach the North Pole. The designer included a necessary condition for the strength of the hull, capable of withstanding ice pressure, in the project; in addition, Nansen conducted experiments on the friction of various materials on ice. Because of this, the ship had a significant draft and contours that were atypical for that time. The cross-section of the hull corresponded to the shape of an egg, the sides of the ship were made 80 centimeters thick, the bow was reinforced - its thickness reached 120 cm. The frame was oak, the lining was pine in four layers. The distance between the frames did not exceed 3-4 cm; this space was filled with bitumen and sawdust to achieve complete waterproofness. The inside of the sides are upholstered with cork, felt, deer skins and decorative spruce panels.

The first Fram expedition. Ice drift in the Eastern Arctic. 1895

And this is a photo of the meeting of the Fram in the harbor of Christiania, after a three-year Arctic voyage, 1896. It is easy to recognize by the crowd of meeting boats and the absence of colorful flags.

The sailing rig was similar to that of a schooner. Since the powerful hull turned out to be quite heavy (420 tons with a steam engine and a filled boiler), the speed characteristics of the ship were sacrificed for reliability. The vessel was distinguished by excellent handling, was nimble, easily rode waves, but was characterized by rolliness due to rounded contours and the absence of a keel. In addition to sails, the ship was equipped with a steam engine (a triple expansion machine with a slide that allows it to be turned into a compound; rated power 220 hp). To avoid breakage in ice, the propeller could be quickly lifted out of the water using a winch. Also, for the first time in history, a dynamo was installed on the Fram to generate electricity, which could be powered by either a steam engine or a windmill.

"Fram" in the Antarctic seas, 1910

The expedition, consisting of 13 people (the 13th, sailor Bernt Bentsen (1860-1899), joined the team half an hour before departure), set off from Christiania in June 1893, having a supply of provisions for five years. 100 tons of coal were taken, which corresponded to a supply for six months of full operation, and, in addition, 20 tons of kerosene and crude oil each for heating the interior. The payload (structural - 380 tons) was exceeded by more than 100 tons, so when sailing, the Fram had a freeboard no more than 50 cm high.
The Fram proceeded along the northern coast of Siberia. About 100 miles short of the New Siberian Islands, Nansen changed course to a more northerly one. By September 20, having reached 79º N, the Fram was firmly frozen into the pack ice. Nansen and his crew prepared to drift west towards Greenland.
The Fram's drift was not as close to the pole as Nansen had hoped. Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen left the ship and tried to reach the Pole on foot. They were able to reach 86º14’N, and decided to turn back, heading to Franz Josef Land. In August 1895 - May 1896. they were forced to spend the winter in extreme conditions on the island. Jackson. On June 19, 1896, Nansen and Johansen reached the Elmwood base of Frederick Jackson's expedition on Cape Flora Island. Northbrook.
At Spitsbergen, the Fram was able to free itself from the ice and headed south, after 1041 days of drift. The wind generator system for generating electricity for lighting has proven itself brilliantly (operated from October 1893 to August 1895, dismantled due to wear of the mechanisms). Although the ship was not intended for use as an icebreaker, it covered 100 miles in ice fields in June-July 1896 in 28 days. In August 1896, Nansen and Johansen met with the expedition ship in the Norwegian port of Varde.

Map of the First Arctic Expedition "Frama".

As you can see, Nansen walked all the way to the Lena delta, then turned north and followed Sannikov Land. The Fram, without Nansen, returned to Tromsø after drifting in 1896.

In 1907, the Fram was handed over to the Amundsen expedition, during which it was planned to begin a five-year drift through the Arctic in the Bering Strait region, for which it was necessary to first cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The ship underwent a general inspection, during which it turned out that the wooden structure, which withstood two Arctic expeditions, was not damaged, but the internal thermal insulation and coal pits were affected by fungus. During a major overhaul in 1909, the Fram was refitted for passage across the Pacific Ocean. The steam engine was replaced by a two-cylinder diesel engine (180 hp). The kerosene supply (90 tons) provided 95 days of continuous engine operation.
Since the engines of the Diesel company in 1909 were rather experimental models, the designer of its engine, Knut Sundbeck, became the flight mechanic of the Fram. The crew accommodations were expanded to accommodate 20 people and food supplies for 2 years ahead, 100 sled dogs, a wintering house in Antarctica, coal and firewood supplies, etc. After all the rebuilding, the displacement of the Fram reached 1100 tons In 1910, Roald Amundsen went to Antarctica, and from May 1910 to January 1911. 16 thousand nautical miles were covered without calling at ports. On January 13, 1911, Amundsen approached the Ross Ice Barrier in Antarctica. He landed in Antarctica's Whale Bay, leaving on dog sleds on October 19, 1911, and reached the South Pole by December 14, 1911, a month ahead of the English expedition of Robert Scott.

Map of the Third Antarctic Expedition "Fram" (only the southern part of the expedition).

This map from the Life archive clearly shows part of the Antarctic Fram route (lines at the bottom of the map).

Well, I told you a little about the history of this wonderful ship.
Now let's board the Fram.

The ship itself is small (displacement 800 - 1100 tons). It is roughly equivalent in size and capacity to the average fishing trawler that I often visited while living in Kamchatka. However, its design is completely unique, given its purpose. It has a very large draft for such a displacement (about 5 meters) and a low, even ridiculous, economical cruising speed (5.5 knots). Speed ​​is sacrificed to all other characteristics of a ship that is designed to sail in extreme conditions.

On the Fram deck, view towards the bow. Wooden door - entrance inside.
One of the expeditioners (Maestro) is diligently filming other views while I am standing on the bridge and filming this angle :)

The bow part, near the anchor fairleads.

Engine room ventilation pipes. View towards the stern.

Fragment of rigging.

View of the stern.

Stern helm.

"Polarskibet. FRAM"

Between the masts, on thin and almost invisible fishing lines, a heavy Antarctic petrel was suspended in a very original way.
It makes an impression!

Of course, during expeditions, the decks of the Fram were very unpresentable - after all, this is a hard-working ship, and not a pleasure yacht. Here, for example, is a photo from 1911 (Life archive), Amundsen’s Antarctic expedition: Greenland huskies are walking and lying on the deck, which will then take polar explorers across the ice to the South Pole.

From Amundsen's book "South Pole" :
The most important thing when outfitting was to find good dogs. As I said, I had to act confidently, quickly and without delay in order to successfully get everything in order. The very next day after I made my decision, I was already on my way to Copenhagen, where just at that time two inspectors of the Greenlandic administration were there. I made an agreement with them, and they undertook to deliver 100 of the best Greenland dogs to Norway by July 1, 1910. Thus, the "dog" issue was resolved, since the choice of dogs was in experienced hands.

Amundsen took 97 dogs with him on the voyage (including 10 females - four puppies were born on the way, two were left behind), 52 dogs on the trip to the Pole, 12 returned with him. After the conquest of the South Pole, the predecessors of Greenpeace they poured dirt on him and accused him of cruelty: how could he, they say, kill most of the sled dogs in cold blood, he is a monster! But the fact remains: in order to survive and conquer the Pole, some of the sled dogs were slaughtered on the way, put in special “refrigerators” and went to feed other dogs on the way back.

Now let's go down into the bowels of the Fram.

The stairs are steeper than on a passenger liner - it is clear that during the design the engineers were very responsible about the use of space.

The first internal tier of premises (where the wardroom and cabins are located).

Let's go to the wardroom. It is made emphatically comfortable, as opposed to other “working” rooms: a billiard table, a gramophone, a library, a piano, soft sofas. It was assumed that during the harsh three-year voyage this room was supposed to serve as a means of relaxation for the crew.

The sofas are actually dark red.

Passage from the wardroom to the crew quarters. There is already significantly less space there.

Galley.

Amundsen's point of view is very interesting (from the book "South Pole"):

Interiors of the Fram during the Third (Antarctic) Expedition, from the Life archive.
As you can see, at the beginning of the trip there were even live pigs on board :)

The Fram team on the Third (Antarctic) Expedition.
Some of these people will reach the South Pole for the first time in history, on December 14, 1911.

Gramophone in the wardroom.

Cabin No. 7, where Otto Sverdrup (second expedition) and Roald Amundsen (third) lived.

Now let's go down to the bilge part of the Fram, below the waterline.

Power "ribs" of the structure.

Structures in the bow.

Engine room, from the 2nd tier (there is a diesel engine that was in the Third Antarctic Expedition). The first two had a steam engine.

View of the engine room from the 1st tier, bilge.

Inscription on the base of the diesel engine.

A table in the corner of the engine room with tools.

Spare propellers in the hold.

And here, by the way, is the propeller and rudder of the "Frame" (outside view).

Ski polar equipment, in the hold.

A set of surgical, medical instruments and rescue equipment (2nd tier).

I won’t be able to show more: otherwise the post will swell to too large a size. Let me just say that walking around and examining the ship and its parts left a great impression. And of course, the expeditioners simply could not help but take pictures on board as a souvenir.
The maestro decided to capture himself at the helm...

And the Commander is on the bridge.
We couldn’t find Bosun Zeleny anywhere at the time of filming: he disappeared somewhere and was discovered by us already below, about twenty minutes later.

Downstairs, many different souvenirs about the Fram are sold, and at very high prices. But whoever wants it will buy it as a souvenir.

You can also purchase portraits of polar explorers (here - Nansen), books, videos, CDs...

Souvenir fork and envelope.
These are the souvenirs that went after our visit to different parts of the world - to America and Russia.

The conclusion is this: if you suddenly find yourself in Oslo and love traveling, be sure to go! Simply without even asking questions or thinking! Even if you don't see anything else there. The impression is amazing. Just need to go early, while there are few people.

The text in brown is taken

Fram

Fram(Norwegian Fram, “forward”) is the famous ship on which three Norwegian expeditions to the North and South Poles were carried out from 1893 to 1912. The name of the ship translated from Norwegian means “forward.” It was specially built as an expedition ship. Since its construction, it has been state property.

Design

The designer of the ship was a famous shipbuilder. The Fram is considered the strongest wooden ship ever built. Archer created the Fram specifically for the Arctic expedition of Fridtjof Nansen, who intended to freeze into the Arctic ice and use drift to reach the North Pole. The designer included a necessary condition for the strength of the hull, capable of withstanding ice pressure, in the project; in addition, Nansen conducted experiments on the friction of various materials on ice. Because of this, the ship had a significant draft and contours that were atypical for that time. The cross-section of the hull corresponded to the shape of an egg (like a pilot boat), the sides of the ship were made 80 centimeters thick, the bow was reinforced - its thickness reached 120 cm. The stem was made of two oak beams superimposed on each other, bound with steel. The set is oak, the cladding is four layers of pine. For the construction of the ship, the Navy provided Italian oak, which had been kept under the roof for 30 years. Three layers of plating were bolted and nailed to the ship's frame; the outer "ice" plating was fastened with dowels and could be stripped off by ice. The distance between the frames did not exceed 3-4 cm; this space was filled with bitumen and sawdust to achieve complete waterproofness. The inside of the sides are upholstered with cork, felt, deer skins and decorative spruce panels.

Initially, Nansen assumed that the ship would be small in size - no more than 170 register tons of capacity, but after final approval of the expedition plans, he increased the size to 402 register tons. T.
The sailing rig was similar to that of a gaff schooner. Since the powerful hull turned out to be quite heavy (420 tons with a steam engine and a filled boiler), the speed characteristics of the ship were sacrificed for reliability. The vessel was distinguished by excellent handling, was nimble, easily rode waves, but was characterized by rolliness due to rounded contours and the absence of a keel. In addition to sails, the ship was equipped with a steam engine (a triple expansion machine with a slide that allows it to be turned into a compound; rated power 220 hp). To avoid breakage in ice, the propeller could be quickly lifted out of the water using a winch. Also, for the first time in history, a dynamo was installed on the Fram to generate electricity, which could be powered by either a steam engine or a windmill. A manual drive for the generator was also taken, but it was not used.

The design included increased requirements for habitability and the layout of the internal space, so the crew could stay on the schooner on trips for up to five years. The living quarters in 1893 were located under the aft half-deck, and were lit through skylights (sealed with a triple frame). The living block included a galley (also known as a bathroom), a large wardroom, which was surrounded on all sides by four individual cabins and two four-berth cabins. Heating is stove, and only the wardroom and galley were heated. The galley stove and baking oven were equipped with oil drip burners of Nansen's original design. Ventilation was provided only through the galley and stove chimneys. According to Nansen, in the winter of 1894 the temperature in the interior was maintained at +22 C.

Expeditions

Fram took part in the following expeditions:

Explorer Years Purpose of the expedition
Fridtjof Nansen 1893-1896 Central Arctic
Otto Sverdrup 1898-1902 Canadian Arctic Archipelago
Roald Amundsen 1910-1912 Antarctica

Through Arctic ice to the North Pole

Nansen's plan was to sail a specially designed ship, which was the Fram, along the Northeast Passage to the New Siberian Islands, where it would be frozen into ice. The crew, while on the ship, would drift along with the ice towards the North Pole.

The expedition, consisting of 13 people (the 13th, sailor Bernt Bentsen (1860-1899), joined the team half an hour before departure), set off from Christiania in June 1893, having a supply of provisions for five years. 100 tons of coal were taken, which corresponded to a supply for six months of full operation, and, in addition, 20 tons of kerosene and crude oil each for heating the interior. The payload (structural - 380 tons) was exceeded by more than 100 tons, so that when sailing, the Fram had a freeboard no more than 50 cm high.

The Fram proceeded along the northern coast of Siberia. About 100 miles short of the New Siberian Islands, Nansen changed course to a more northerly one. By September 20, having reached 79º N, the Fram was firmly frozen into the pack ice. Nansen and his crew prepared to drift west to Greenland: the steam engine was dismantled and a workshop was set up in the engine room. Subsequently, rooms for astronomical observations, as well as a forge, were equipped directly on the ice. All boats were also removed from the Fram, and 20 tons of coal and food for 6 months were transferred to the ice in case the ship sank. The boats were later used as a source of lumber for making skis and sleds.

The Fram's drift was not as close to the pole as Nansen had hoped. Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen left the ship and tried to reach the Pole on foot. They were able to reach 86º14’N, and decided to turn back, heading to Franz Josef Land. In August 1895 - May 1896. they were forced to spend the winter in extreme conditions on the island. Jackson (archaeological excavations were carried out at this site in 2002). On June 19, 1896, Nansen and Johansen reached the Elmwood base of Frederick Jackson's expedition on Cape Flora Island. Northbrook.

At Spitsbergen, the Fram was able to free itself from the ice and headed south, after 1041 days of drift. The wind generator system for generating electricity for lighting has proven itself brilliantly (operated from October 1893 to August 1895, dismantled due to wear of the mechanisms). Although the ship was not intended for use as an icebreaker, it covered 100 miles in ice fields in June-July 1896 in 28 days. In August 1896, Nansen and Johansen met with the expedition ship in the Norwegian port of Varde.

Sverdrup's scientific research

In 1898, Otto Svedrup, who captained the Fram during Nansen's expedition, set out on a four-year ship expedition to the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. As a result of the trip, the islands of Axel-Heiberg, Ellef-Ringnes, Amund-Ringnes and others were discovered. Almost all the straits of the archipelago were examined and the western coast of Ellesmere Island was mapped. All newly discovered lands were declared the property of Norway, which formally owned these territories until 1930.

The ship was converted to accommodate 16 crew members: a superstructure was erected on the upper deck, taking up 2/3 of the ship's length, and the navigation cabin was eliminated. Inside the superstructure there is a covered workshop, as well as a bow wardroom and crew quarters. After the restructuring, the capacity of the Fram reached 600 reg. t. To improve seaworthiness, a protruding false keel was added.

After the expedition returned in 1902, the Fram was laid up in Horten harbor and abandoned, occasionally being used to correct artillery fire during firing exercises. After the fire of 1905, the ship's sailing rig was completely destroyed.

Saving the ship

After Amundsen's expedition, the ship was parked. In 1914, negotiations were held about using the ship for the opening ceremony of the Panama Canal, but the negotiations broke down (in the literature you can find a myth that the Fram was the first ship to pass through the Isthmus of Panama).

Back in 1916, Amundsen considered the prospect of using the ship for a trip to the North Pole (according to the previous program), but in the end he chose to build a new one. Until 1914, the Fram remained in Buenos Aires, being destroyed by rats and woodworms. In 1918, the Fram was completely dismantled to prepare for Amundsen's expedition to the Maud (all rigging, practical items, even furniture from the living quarters were removed).

In the 1920s, after being laid up for more than a decade, Norwegian explorers Lars Christensen, Otto Sverdrup and Oskar Wisting took the initiative to preserve the ship for history and posterity. In 1929, a major overhaul of the ship began. In 1935, the schooner was moved to a museum that took the name of the ship. The ship was given its original appearance.

The Fram is currently in a dry hangar in Oslo at the Fram Museum.

Oskar Wisting, Amundsen's friend and colleague, died on board the Fram. As Gennady Fish writes:

“And when the ship, having said goodbye to the salty wave forever, stood on reinforced concrete supports, the heart of the old polar explorer could not stand it... Oscar Wisting died of a broken heart on the deck of his beloved ship...”

New name bearer

In May 2007, the Norwegian company Hurtigruten launched the research cruise liner Fram. The vessel is relatively small (intended for only 300 passengers), its characteristics:

* Length 114 m,
* Width is a little more than 20 m,
* 8 decks
* Cargo capacity - 25 cars.

The ship is used for complex expeditions - due to its size, it can go to places that cannot be reached on a large cruise ship, and also travel along the coast rather than on the open sea.