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Ship Wasa


Ship Wasa
Photo Information
Copyright: Tibor Plank (plank) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 51 W: 3 N: 45] (1787)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-11-19
Categories: Architecture
Exposure: f/5.0, 1/2 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-01-12 10:40
Viewed: 606
Points: 2
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
SHIP VASA (Wasa, Vasen)

STOCKHOLM 1628 was still a small medieval town with only 10.000 inhabitants of wich most lived in wooden houses. On the island Blasieholmen (today the penninsula where the National Museum is situated) , was Vasa built. The master shipwright was a Dutchman and so were the best paid shipbuilders. The ship was covered with nearly thousand wooden sculptures and ornaments, painted with bright colours.
Already in the spring of 1628 the naval chief, admiral Flemming, tested the ships stability and found that the ship would easy capsize. But nothing was done.
10th of August 1628 it was time for her maiden voyage. After sailing only less than one English mile , Vasa capsized and sunk..
Some 30 years later most of Vasas 64 guns (each having a weight of more than a ton) was salvaged by using a primitive diving bell.
In 1956 Vasa was re-discovered by an amateur historian, Anders Franzén. He persuaded the Navy to have their diving education at the old wreck. The divers dug tunnels for large wires under Vasas hull. The wires was attached to water filled pontoons. When the pontoons was emptied,the pontoons with Vasa hanging in the wires raised from the bottom of the sea. (This salvaging method was described already in the 16th century!). After many years of restoration and conservation, Vasa became the only surviving 17th century ship! And one of the best preserved: 95% of the ship is original!
(Only 5-10 % of the much younger English ship Victory, is original!)
Total length (including bowsprit): 69 m.
Sail area (6 of the original sails are preserved!) 1275 m2.
64 guns, most of them 24-pounders (= the cannon ball had a weight of 24 pound).
Crew: Probably: 145 sailors and 300 soldiers (no soldiers were on board when Vasa sunk).

Tibor
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • lukdm Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 415 W: 3 N: 21] (1348)
  • [2006-01-12 11:14]

nice shot from this historical ship.

  •      
  • NINIX Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 318 W: 151 N: 581] (6293)
  • [2006-01-12 12:11]

Hi Tibor,

Very interesting picture and a good note too. I love those old tall ships. Now they built in Holland the twelf provincien, a simmular kind of war ship.
Have you any more pictures?

Hendrik

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