These 2 architects repurposed an old lifeboat and are using it to explore the Arctic with their dog - check out photos of their incredible adventure
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In February 2018, two architects bought a lifeboat.
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... which means "sound and steadfast" in Norwegian.
Stødig was built in Norway in 1997, and served as the lifeboat on the CalMac ferry on the Western Isles of Scotland.
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It was originally designed to carry as many as 100 people in an emergency situation.
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Architects and owners Guylee Simmonds and David Schnabel called the boat their "robust, unsinkable and spacious blank canvas."
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They spent a year converting the lifeboat into a comfortable living space.
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A new yellow exterior was a good start.
... dining area ...
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... and a cockpit, bunk beds, and more.
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Lifeboats are designed for safety, so they are enclosed ...
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... but Simmonds and Schnabel wanted storage space and light.
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They knew they needed a place to fish, and for cooking ...
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... and, most importantly, a place to sit in rare sunny weather and have a beer.
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They're also joined by the third member of their crew, Shackleton.
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He enjoys "adventures, walks, licking, and sniffing," according to Simmonds and Schnabel.
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Though he's a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, they said that his main duties on board are "morale and vacuum cleaning," not duck hunting.
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He also seems to enjoy an occasional swim.
The boat is 10.7 meters long and 3.2 meters wide, or roughly 35 feet by 10 feet.
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The crew of three began their journey in May 2019.
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The trip has taken them through eight countries and over 5000 kilometers, or about 3,100 miles.
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Their route took them past the coasts of Belgium and the Netherlands ...
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... through the Kiel Canal in Germany, up to the Baltic Sea.
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Next, they continued even farther north, past the Danish and Swedish coasts ...
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... into the Norwegian fjords.
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They followed the path of the famous Hurtingruten Ferry, which takes tourists to see the Northern Lights each year.
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The crew made it to Tromsø, the largest city in the Arctic, up north in the Norwegian fjords.
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During their winter in the Arctic, the crew wants to"explore this wild and isolated landscape."
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Simmonds and Shnabel also hope to demonstrate their innovation and self sufficiency under extreme climates in the vessel that they redesigned.
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Of course, they've had the chance to take in amazing views along the way.
In 2020, they hope to go farther north, and explore the remaining Norwegian coast.
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After that, they said, "who knows?"
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They've also had filmmakers helping them document their adventure, and which they hope to show at film festivals this year.
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