Vasa Museum (Stockholm 2019)

I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to museums, I love going and looking around them. Now I had never heard about Vasa, but it's a museum that displays the only intact 17th century ship that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628.

Vasa was a Swedish warship built and completed by 1628 on the orders from King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden for the war with Poland/Lithuania and sailed about 1,300m into its maiden voyage but fell into obscurity. Crew of 145 sailors and 300 soldiers and 64 guns.

It sank due to it's very little stability which was known by the king but was sent to sea.

The picture above is called The Rigging, you can stand in one but not on the actual ship, The Rigging was the main top, a worn platform, from here one could furl or unfurl the main topsail.

Gunports: the ports of the two gunlocks which were normally closed during sailing. When they were opened prior to an engagement, brightly painted lion masks glared out towards the enemies.

Scuppers: small round drainage holes in the ship's side. Prior to an engagement the scuppers were plugged and water was pumped onto the decks as a fire precaution.

Vasa Museum has an effective climate control system within the museum. Climate has effected the Vasa, during Summer 2000 it rained and with the mass of visitors to the museum the ship hall's climate control system was unable to maintain consistent temperature and humidity. The ambient humidity rose and fell, iron and sulphur siting in the wood were transported to the surface, it forms harmful deposits on the surface of the ship so a new effective climate control system was installed. Research is still being done on the boat, nobody knows how long the Vasa will survive, if they were to lock it up in a dark, cold room without oxygen then it would survive forever but nobody would be able to enjoy this beautiful boat. Vasa is affected by visitors body heat, breath and clothing which maybe wet due to rain.

The Vasa Museum was built in 1987-1990 in the Galley Yard, used by the Navy from 1723 to 1969. The models above shows the yard in 1942.