Victor Lundstrom’s boat, the Cleng Peerson, is symbolic of Victor’s adventurous nature, as well as of Norwegian bravery and wanderlust more broadly. Peter Lundstrom admires Uncle Victor’s exciting and adventurous lifestyle, for Victor “led a life of adventure in contrast with Peter’s father, a banker” (4) Additionally, Peter admires his uncle’s success as a fisherman, his possession of a fleet of boats, and his freedom to sail wherever he wishes to go. The Cleng Peerson thus becomes an embodiment of Victor’s fascinating stories and his daring and adventurous life, for in Peter’s eyes, it is the boat itself that bears Victor away in search of far-off adventures, thus epitomizing the very essence of such a courageous life.

To emphasize this philosophical connection, the name of the boat connects Victor to a line of daring Norse sailors, for according to Peter, “Cleng Peerson was the Norseman who went to America and who, because of his bravery in the face of hardships, was called the Norwegian Daniel Boone” (110). Through its name, the ship is connected to a proud history of Norwegian exploration. It is especially symbolic that Cleng Peerson was the first Norwegian to sail to America, as this is where Victor will eventually sail the Norwegian gold to safety.