Vasa

The Vasa sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 because it was top-heavy and lacked sufficient ballast to support its massive upper gun decks. A gust of wind caught the sails, causing the ship to heel over enough for water to rush in through the open lower gun ports.

The ship is now the centerpiece of the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, Sweden. It was successfully recovered from the harbor in 1961 and has been meticulously conserved for public viewing.

The cold, brackish waters of Stockholm harbor were uniquely free of the shipworms that typically consume wooden wrecks. Additionally, the heavily polluted water created a low-oxygen environment that prevented significant decay for over three centuries.

The Vasa was heavily armed with 64 bronze cannons placed across its two gun decks. When it was raised in 1961, most of the cannons had been salvaged centuries earlier, but the ship still contained three original guns.