Welcome to the homepage
for Colin Archer pilot cutter 'Ruggen'

'Ruggen' is currently the only known North American built cutter based on the original Colin Archer design from the Norwegian rescue services (Redningsselskapet) of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Boat builder Kjell Kessell started construction of 'Ruggen' in 1981, and has built the 40 foot one masted cutter from the keel up. The hull is planked from old growth Vancouver Island Douglas Fir, and framed with white oak from Kentucky. The boat has traditional copper sheating below the water line, and when not sailing is powered by a John Deere diesel engine. In April of 2004, 'Ruggen' was launched and is currently based at the Tom Mac shipyard in Richmond, BC, pending outfitting with it's rigging. Click here for photos following the original launch.

Click here for a series of photos from the construction of Ruggen..

For scantlings and marine surveys of Ruggen, please select here. (Files are in Adobe pdf format):

Scantlings

Survey from 2004

Survey from 2009

Click here to see pictures from the masting of Ruggen on September 10, 2007.

Click here for more recent snapshots.

For more information on Colin Archer and the ships built using his design, please check out the following website: http://www.ssca.no

You can e-mail Kjell Kessell at kessell@ruggen.ca