On August 10, 1628, Vasa set sail for Stockholm. The warship carries the ambition and prestige of the Swedish kingdom. He doesn’t have to face an enemy fleet to encounter danger.
Under the effect of the wind, he bows. Water enters through the open ports, these openings arranged for the cannons. An insufficiently stable building can no longer recover: the first trip ends after a few minutes, with the death of people on board.
This shipwreck is all the more striking as the ship was designed to impress. The number of cannons and magnificence do not replace balance. The Vasa did not lose its first battle. It never reached the place where it could have taken place.
What we know
The disaster is the result of a set of stability problems; reducing it to wind alone would be misleading.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 20, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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