The Wasa

I remember reading about the Wasa (or Vasa) when I was a kid.  I had to prepare an assignment and I found the sinking of the Wasa to be a fascinating topic.  It gave me a particular joy to be able to visit the actual ship now that I was in Stockholm.

Even after hundreds of years under the water, the ship was still impressive.  It was meant to be the flagship of the Swedish fleet during the height of Sweden's military power over the whole of Europe, so it was only fitting that it would have the most impressive new warship of the era.  Sadly for Sweden, the Wasa was a poorly designed ship and it sank on its maiden voyage as it was leaving the harbour.  According to reports, a wind slightly stronger than a breeze was enough to tip the ship, such were the issues with its balance.

Amazingly, the wreckage of the ship was rediscovered and refloated in the 60s.  Now, it has it's own climate controlled museum to house it.

I had sadly mistimed the trip a little bit.  My old friend Pete used to work on the restoration work relating to the Wasa and he was the still friends with the head of the archaeological work being done on this beautiful ship.  Unfortunately he was away at the very time I was in Stockholm, otherwise I would have been given the rare opportunity of actually boarding the ship itself.

Even without the opportunity to board the ship, being up close to the ship was a special experience.  It's one thing to look at pictures and videos, it's another thing entirely to be able to see the intricate details and to understand just how large the vessel is.