Swedish marine archaeologists have discovered the ship Applet – the “sister ship” of the warship Vasa, which sank after its maiden voyage in the 17th century.
“We are very excited to see how similar this wreck is to the (warship) Vasa,” said Jim Hansson, a marine archaeologist at the Swedish Shipwreck Museum.
Hansson added that the structure and size of the ship appear “very familiar,” raising hopes that this could be one of the sister ships of Vasa. Although parts of the ship’s structure are no longer intact, the hull is still preserved, the Guardian reported on October 24.
The wreck was first discovered in December 2021. Subsequently, archaeologists conducted a thorough survey in the spring and found details that were previously only seen on the warship Vasa.
The museum stated that technical details, dimensions, and wood samples confirmed that the ship is indeed Applet.
A diver approaches the wreck of the Applet. (Photo: Jim Hansson/Guardian).
The Applet was launched in 1629 and was built by the same shipyard as the famous warship Vasa, capable of carrying 64 cannons. The ship sank in the strait off the island of Vaxholm, near the capital Stockholm.
In 2019, the museum also discovered two other warships in the same area. Archaeologists at that time believed one of them could be Applet, but further analysis revealed that those ships were actually two medium-sized warships from 1648 – Apollo and Maria.
With this latest discovery, Hansson shared, “we can add another important piece to the puzzle of Swedish shipbuilding development,” allowing researchers to understand the differences between Applet and Vasa.
Vasa is a famous Swedish warship that was launched in 1628. On its maiden voyage, after departing from the port of Stockholm about 1,300 meters, the ship capsized and sank, according to Smithsonian.
