Kategorie: News
Unique wreck discovery near Stockholm
Marine archaeologists have discovered the wreck of the Äpplet (the Apple), a 17th century warship, off Stockholm. Launched in 1629, the ship was constructed by the same shipbuilder as the famous warship Vasa a year earlier. Measurement data, technical details of the ship, wood samples and archival data confirm that it is indeed the Äpplet, the sister ship of the Vasa.
The discovery of a wreck is a very special event for everyone involved. What was discovered almost a year ago off Stockholm was even a bit more fascinating. The Stockholm Museum of Underwater Archaeology Vrak spoke of an even "unique find" today, Monday, when it presented the discovery to the public.
In December 2021, a huge shipwreck had been discovered in a strait near the island of Vaxholm. Parts of the ship's side walls had sunk to the seabed, but the hull was preserved except for a lower gun deck. The fallen side walls showed gun ports on two different levels, indicating a warship with two gun decks.
"Our pulse rate accelerated when we saw how similar the wreck was to the Vasa," says Jim Hansson, marine archaeologist at Vrak. "Both the design and the massive dimensions looked very familiar. The hope of finding one of the Vasa's sister ships was raised in us." The wreck of the "Vasa" had been rediscovered in Stockholm harbour in the middle of the last century. It is now on display in its own museum and is one of the Swedish capital's visitor attractions.
A second, more thorough investigation was carried out in the spring of 2022. During these dives, ship details were found that had previously only been seen in the Vasa, and very detailed sampling and analyses were then carried out. It turned out that the oak wood for the ship was felled in 1627 in the Mälardalen area, east of Stockholm - the same place as the Vasa's wood just a few years earlier. "The dimensions, construction details, wood samples and archival material all pointed in the same direction - amazingly, we had found the Vasa's sister ship, the 'Äpplet'," says Patrik Höglund, another maritime archaeologist at Vrak.
Three decades in service
Launched in 1629, the warship was built by the same shipbuilder as the "Vasa". While the "Vasa" sank shortly after its maiden voyage, the "Äpplet" remained in service with the Swedish navy for several decades. This may also have been due to the fact that shipbuilder Hein Jacobsson had learned from the design flaws of the "Vasa" and built her sister ship somewhat wider. The "Vasa" sank because of a design flaw: the 69-metre-long and almost 12-metre-wide ship was equipped with far too many cannons, was also very top-heavy and sank during its maiden voyage on 10 August 1628. When the "Vasa" left the harbour, it was caught by a strong gust of wind. The ship tilted so far to one side that water poured into the lower gun ports. The ship was so unstable that it could not right itself. Over 50 sailors below deck died in the sinking.
The "Äpplet", on the other hand, was part of the armada that sailed towards Germany after Sweden entered the Thirty Years' War. In 1658 - after almost 30 years in service - the warship was finally declared unseaworthy. A year later, the "Äpplet" was sunk as part of an underwater barrier intended to prevent enemies from reaching Stockholm by sea.
No salvage planned
For the scientists at Vrak, the find is also confirmation that perseverance pays off. Three years ago they had already hoped to have discovered the wreck of the "Äpplet". However, the two wrecks discovered near Vaxholm at that time turned out to be two smaller - and two decades younger - ships.
Unlike with the "Vasa", the public will have to make do with photos of the wreck. Unlike her sister ship, the "Äpplet" is not to be salvaged, but remain on the seabed. She is best off down there, Hansson said. And the "Äpplet" should also be protected from curious wreck divers. Diving is prohibited in the area where the wreck is located; a pity - but very understandable.
More information:
Important Note:
Divers are very welcome in the Diving Park in Dalarö, south of Stockholm. And of course also to Dalarödykpensionat where they can stay and get guided tours under the water among wrecks from the 1700ths century.
Details here:
https://www.vrak.se/en/maritime-archaeology/dive-parks/
https://vrakdykarpensionatet.se/