{"UUID":"2b542525-e08c-4eef-a987-bc355c64bda6","URL":"https://www.pri.org/stories/2012-02-23/new-clues-emerge-centuries-old-swedish-shipwreck","ArchiveURL":"","Title":"Swedish warship Vasa sinks on maiden voyage","StartTime":"1628-08-10T12:00:00Z","EndTime":"1628-08-10T12:20:00Z","Categories":["hardware"],"Keywords":["vasa","shipwreck","1628","sweden","maritime","design flaw","asymmetry","top-heavy"],"Company":"Sweden","Product":"Vasa","SourcePublishedAt":"2013-08-15T05:14:14Z","SourceFetchedAt":"2026-05-04T17:46:06.282939Z","Summary":"Use of different rulers by builders caused the _Vasa_ to be more heavily built on its port side and the ship's designer, not having built a ship with two gun decks before, overbuilt the upper decks, leading to a design that was top heavy. Twenty minutes into its maiden voyage in 1628, the ship heeled to port and sank.","Description":"The Swedish warship Vasa embarked on its maiden voyage on August 10, 1628. Just twenty minutes into its journey, the ship was struck by two strong winds, causing it to heel to port. Water rapidly gushed in, leading to the ship's sinking less than a mile from its starting point.\n\nThis incident resulted in the deaths of thirty people and was considered an embarrassing and tragic mishap for Sweden. Despite an immediate inquest concluding the ship was unstable, the precise reasons for this instability remained a subject of debate for centuries.\n\nRecent detailed examinations by researchers at the Vasa Museum, led by archaeologist Fred Hocker, revealed that the ship was significantly asymmetrical. More structure was present on the port side than the starboard, causing it to naturally heel to port. This asymmetry was attributed to workmen using different measurement standards—Swedish feet (12 inches) and Amsterdam feet (11 inches)—during construction, leading to variations in timber dimensions.\n\nFurther investigation showed the Vasa was also critically top-heavy. The section of the ship above the waterline was disproportionately heavy compared to the part in the water, making it prone to capsizing. This design flaw stemmed from the shipbuilder, Henrik Hybertsson, who, lacking experience with two-gun-deck ships, overbuilt the upper decks, making them heavier than necessary to carry the cannons.\n\nThere was no remediation for the sinking itself. The article focuses on the historical investigation and current preservation efforts of the salvaged ship, which are not related to the incident's resolution."}