description Vasa Warship Overview
Vasa is a Swedish warship that sank in Stockholm harbor on its maiden voyage in 1628 after sailing only a short distance. The heavily armed vessel was unstable and heeled over when struck by wind, allowing water to enter through its open gunports. Raised largely intact in 1961, it underwent extensive conservation and is displayed at Stockholm's Vasa Museum, where its surviving hull and carved decoration document 17th-century shipbuilding.
insights Ranking position
Vasa Warship ranks #82 of 235 in the Artifact ranking, behind Moog Minimoog, ahead of Where Do We Come From? (Gauguin).
help Vasa Warship FAQ
Why did the Vasa sink on its first voyage?
Vasa was top-heavy and had insufficient stability for its tall superstructure and heavy armament. A gust caused it to heel, and water entered through open lower gunports in Stockholm harbor in 1628.
How far did Vasa sail before sinking?
The warship traveled only about a kilometer or so from its departure point before foundering. Its maiden voyage on August 10, 1628, ended within sight of Stockholm.
How was Vasa raised after more than three centuries underwater?
Salvagers passed cables beneath the hull and gradually lifted it toward shallower water before the final recovery in 1961. The ship was then treated for years with polyethylene glycol to keep its waterlogged wood from collapsing.
Where can visitors see the Vasa warship?
Vasa is displayed at the Vasa Museum on Djurgarden in Stockholm. The museum preserves the largely original seventeenth-century hull along with recovered sculptures and personal objects.
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