Surprise · Maritime History
The Shortest Maiden Voyage
The warship Vasa
The question
Sweden's mighty warship Vasa set off on its maiden voyage in 1628. How far did it sail?
- Across the Baltic Sea to Poland
- Around the southern coast of Sweden
- About 1,300 metres(correct answer)
The answer: About 1,300 metres
On 10 August 1628, Vasa, the most powerful warship in the Baltic, set sail in Stockholm harbour. Minutes later a strong gust pushed it over, water poured in through the open gunports, and it sank after about 1,300 metres. Its tall, heavily built upper hull made it unstable. Vasa lay 32 metres down until it was raised in 1961.
- Civilization
- Kingdom of Sweden
- Region
- Northern Europe
- Period
- 1628
- Location
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Featured in
- Daily Discovery #004 · 5 November 2026
Image: Sonse, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) (image source, opens in a new tab)
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