Photos

On Sunday August 21, 1628 [August 10 according to the Julian calendar in use in Sweden at that time], at about 3 pm, His Majesty's Ship Vasa is leaving for her first voyage. 69 meters long, 11.7 meters wide, tonnage 1,210 tons, 3 masts plus bowsprit, 1,278 square meters of sails, 64 guns, a potential crew of 145 sailors and 300 soldiers, a cost of about 40,000 thalers, Vasa is an formidable warship ready to reinforce the Swedish Navy for the war against Poland. However, 300 meters after setting the sails, with just a small wind breeze, the ship heels over on port and.... capsize. Most probably the shortest cruise in the story of the Swedish Navy.

On August 26, 1956, a maritime archeologist, Anders Franzen, looking for the ship, brings out of the water his special drilling hand lead, with a darken piece of wood inside. Vasa has been rediscovered. After several years of underwater work, the ship comes back to the light in 1961 and the preservation and restoration works begins.

Now, Vasa is housed in a special museum fully dedicated to her, on the Skansen island : a wonderfull relic of the past, maintained in nearly perfect state by the cold water of the Baltic Sea. The hull is complete, the lower masts original, those of the guns not salvaged in the 1660 are present, all the sculptures have been repositionned and some of the sails have even been saved. The museum displays several exhibitions on the salvage work, the ship, her historical environment and a carefull study of all the founds - including the remains of some of the 30-50 victims of the shripwreck.

For maritime lovers, one of the things to see, with the viking ships museum in Oslo and the hanseatic cog in Bremerhaven.

See additional information at www.vasamuseet.se

French version :
Le dimanche 21 août 1628 [10 août selon le calendrier julien alors en usage en Suède], à environ 15h, le vaisseau de Sa Majesté Vasa part pour son premier voyage. Avec 69 m de long, 11,70 m de large, 1 210 tonnes de déplacement, 3 mâts et un mât de civadière sur le beaupré, 1 278 m2 de voilure, 64 canons, un équipage pouvant atteindre 150 marins et 300 soldats, un coût de près de 40 000 thalers, Vasa est un formidable vaisseau de guerre pour renforcer la Marine suèdoise dans la guerre contre la Pologne. Toutefois, 300 m après avoir hissé les voiles, par faible brise, le navire s'incline sur babord et... chavire. Probablement la traversée la plus courte de la Marine suédoise.

Le 26 août 1956, un archéologue naval, Anders Franzen, à la recherche du navire, remonte à la surface à l'aide de sa sonde perforante un morceau de bois noirci. Le Vasa a été redécouvert. En 1961, après plusieurs années de travail, le Vasa revoie la lumière du jour et le travail de préservation et de restauration commence...

Site interne du musée : www.vasamuseet.se