The Vasa

The Vasa (also spelled Wasa) was a three-masted Swedish warship of 64 guns, 69.00 m long including her spars and 11.7 m wide. She was built between 1626 and 1628 at a cost of 100,000 riksdaler and was the most expensive and ornate ship Sweden had ever built.

She sank on her maiden voyage on 10 August 1628, only about 1,300 metres from shore. She did not carry enough ballast to balance the heavy guns on her upper decks, and a strong gust heeled her over as she left the harbour under sail. Part of the blame lay with King Gustavus Adolphus, who was impatient to take her into the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) and pressed for her launch. His officials did not tell him about her lack of ballast, for fear of embarrassing the crown.

Her high stern was built so that up to 300 soldiers could board enemy ships quickly, and her broadside could fire 588 pounds (267 kg) of shot from one side. No other warship in the Baltic matched that concentration of artillery until the 1630s.

The mid-section model

Alongside the full model, Denis built a separate cross-section of the Vasa’s hull amidships. It cuts through the ship to show the decks, the guns and the ballast and ammunition stowed below. That ballast was too light, and it was the cause of her sinking.

About the model

The Vasa model is finished in her blue and gold upper works, with carved stern galleries and the Swedish flag.