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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

Jan 11, 2020, 19:05 IST

In February 2018, two architects bought a lifeboat.

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The vessel is called Stødig ...

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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.

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.

A total redesign gave the boat a new life.

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A new yellow exterior was a good start.

They added a kitchen ...

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... dining area ...

... two forward cabins ...

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... and a cockpit, bunk beds, and more.

Lifeboats are designed for safety, so they are enclosed ...

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... but Simmonds and Schnabel wanted storage space and light.

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.

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.

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.

They launched from Newhaven, a British port.

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The trip has taken them through eight countries and over 5000 kilometers, or about 3,100 miles.

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.

Next, they continued even farther north, past the Danish and Swedish coasts ...

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... into the Norwegian fjords.

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.

Now, they are waiting out the winter in Tromsø.

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During their winter in the Arctic, the crew wants to"explore this wild and isolated landscape."

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?"

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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