[3] Launched on 2 April 1901[1] she was modelled on Fridtjof Nansen's ship Fram, and rigged as a barquentine.

[1][a] With a 325 hp (242 kW)[3] triple expansion steam engine driving one screw to augment the sails, she was capable of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph).

[1][7][b] Classed "A1" by Germanischer Lloyds, she was designed to carry 700 tons of stores, enough to make her self-sufficient for up to three years with a crew of 30 aboard.

The hull was robust, and the rudder and propeller were designed to be hoisted aboard for inspection or repairs.

[7] On 1 July 1909, Bernier, without government approval, claimed the entire area between Canada's eastern and western borders all the way to the North Pole.