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Writer's pictureAndy McIlvain

The Vasa - An High Tech Ship That Sank on Its Maiden Voyage in 1628

The Bizarre Story of ‘Vasa,’ the Ship That Keeps On Giving

‘"Vasa’ sunk in front of horrified onlookers on this day in 1628, claiming 30 lives

Vasa was the world’s most high-tech warship when it set sail. Today, it’s a resource for naval historians and archaeologists–and a cautionary tale for those who seek to design technology.

The story of what happened to the ship has gone down in history: despite being one of the Swedish navy’s biggest achievements and among “the most spectacular warships ever built,” according to Eric H. Kessler, Paul E. Bierly III and Shanthi Gopalakrishnan in The Academy of Management Executive, Vasa sank within twenty minutes of setting sail, on this day in 1628.

“The warship survived the first blast of wind it encountered on its maiden voyage in Stockholm Harbor,” writes Lucas Laursen for Archaeology. “But the second gust did it in. The sinking of Vasa took place nowhere near an enemy. In fact, it sank in full view of a horrified public, assembled to see off their navy’s–and Europe’s–most ambitious warship to date.” Engineering problems sank the ship–but this PR disaster for the Swedish navy has become a boon for archaeologists. Here’s how it happened and how Vasa's influence is felt today..." from the article: The Bizarre Story of ‘Vasa,’ the Ship That Keeps On Giving



On board the Vasa - Episode 1

Video from Vasamuseet


The Vasa - An Advanced Ship That Sank on Its First Journey in 1628

'Welcome on board the Vasa! Together with Fred Hocker, Director of Research, we explore all of Vasa's interior spaces. In the first episode, we take you to the Stern Castle." from the video introduction



A Scale Model of the Vasa as It Looked the day of the maiden voyage.


The Vasa Today

Visit the website for The Vasa Museum


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