Tofte
Roald Amundsen was the first man to reach the South Pole. After this expedition he planned a trip to the Arctic. His ship Maud has now returned to Asker and can be admired in the harbour of Tofte. Combine the polar history and Maud with a visit to the Oslofjord museum for a nice daytrip outside Oslo.
The story of the polarship Maud
101 years after Maud's launch in Vollen, the polar ship sailed home on the Jensen fleet (named after the boatbuilder from Vollen) into the Oslofjord in 2018, after a long journey from Cambridge Bay in Canada. Maud was salvaged, financed and organized by Tandberg Eiendom in Asker, and a Maud House is now being planned at Tofte in Asker.
The Maud expedition under the direction of Roald Amundsen from 1918 to 1925 was a scientific research expedition with the goal of reaching the North Pole by freezing itself in the ice and drifting northward. Harald Ulrik Sverdrup was the scientific director during the expedition and, together with the crew, carried out groundbreaking scientific collection work that became widely known around the world.
The dream of reaching the North Pole was not fulfilled and therefore this expedition largely ended in the shadow of Amundsen's previous achievements, the Northwest Passage and the South Pole in 1911.
The Maud expedition, which lasted 7 years, was a long journey in time and scope and finally this story will be collected and Maud will become a main attraction in a future Maudheim Tofte.
Maudheim
Maudheim will be ideally located for future visitors to southern Asker, along the coastal path that continues into the magnificent nature reserve along the fjord towards Østnestangen.
Maudheim can already be visited today and the harbor area has become a popular place to spend the days with a good view of the sea and good opportunities for recreation. Here Maud lies waiting for her house and there is also a small plane from 1920 identical to the one they had on board and made the first flights from the polar ice.
This area was previously the landing port for timber for Hurum Fabriker, which produced cellulose until 2008. There are a few elements in the harbor that testify to this time, which will also become part of the future story in Maudheim Tofte.
Amundsen - the first man to reach the South Pole
Roald Amundsen secretly planned the South Pole expedition after he heard that Robert Peary had reached the Pole Point. He had been allowed to borrow the ship "Fram" from Fridtjof Nansen and was afraid he would take the ship back if he told about the change in plans. The members of the expedition became the first in history to reach the South Pole point on December 4, 1911, five weeks before the expedition of Robert F. Scott made it there on his second attempt.
From Vollen to the North Pole
The polar ship Maud was built at Christian Jensen's ship wharf in Vollen. The client was Roald Amundsen who planned an expedition to the Arctic, where the goal was to do research in these areas and hopefully reach the North Pole. In June 7, 1917, Maud was completed and was launched where the Oslo Fjord Museum is located today. In the summer of 1918, "Maud" finally sails from Oslo towards the northeast passage. Attempts were made to drift across the Arctic Ocean without success, and other attempts were made to reach the North Pole by plane. The boat remained behind, and after 80 years on the seabed in the northwest passage, the ship was transported home to Vollen in August 2018.
The scientific results from the expedition are still relevant, but Roald Amundsen encountered several obstacles and the ship never reached the North Pole. Amundsen went bankrupt in 1925 and Maud was sold at forced auction. She eventually sank in Cambridge Bay, Canada, where she lay on the ocean floor for 80 years. Maud is in storage in Sagene Båthavn on Tofte pending a permanent «Maud house».
The Oslofjord Museum
At the Oslofjord Museum, you can see an impressive collection of old wooden boats, learn about life in the sea and the history associated with leasure boats on the Oslo Fjord. The children find it fun to make an boat driven by elastics that can be tested in the pool.
Access to Vollen can be done by scheduled ferry or bus. The trip to Maud in Tofte is best made by car. Great day trip to combine with visits to local beaches, restaurants and coastal galleries.
Thank you to MiA/Oslofjordmuseet and Jan Wangaard for text and photos.
Member of Visit Greater Oslo
Source: Visit Greater Oslo