(AGENPARL) – lun 24 ottobre 2022 Press release
Vasa’s sister ship Äpplet discovered – world-unique find
Published: 24 october 2022 15:10
Äpplet, kanonport sedd utifrån, på övre batteridäck vid styrbords akter./Äpplet, gunport seen from outside, on upper gundeck at starboard aft. Photographer/Source: Jim Hansson, Vrak/SMTM.
Maritime archaeologists from Vrak – Museum of Wrecks have discovered the wreck of Äpplet (the Apple), a 17th century warship. Launched in 1629, Äpplet was built by the same shipbuilder as the warship Vasa one year earlier. Measurement data, the ship’s technical details, wood samples and archival data confirm that it is indeed Äpplet, Vasa’s sister ship.
On several occasions Vrak’s maritime archaeologists have collaborated with the Swedish navy to survey a strait at Vaxholm, an island outside Stockholm. In December 2021, a huge shipwreck was discovered there. Parts of the ship’s sides had fallen to the bottom of the sea, but the hull was otherwise preserved up to a lower gun deck. The fallen sides had gunports on two different levels, evidence of a warship with two gun decks.
“Our pulses spiked when we saw how similar the wreck was to Vasa,” says Jim Hansson, maritime archaeologist at Vrak. “Both the construction and the powerful dimensions seemed very familiar. The hope of finding one of Vasa’s sister ships was sparked within us.”
A second, more thorough survey was conducted in the spring of 2022. During those dives, ship details were found that had so far only been seen in Vasa, and several samples and analyses were made. It emerged that the oak for the ship’s timber was felled in 1627 in the Mälardalen area, east of Stockholm – in the same place as Vasa’s timber just a few years earlier.
“The dimensions, construction details, wood samples and archival material all pointed in the same direction – amazingly, we had found Vasa’s sister ship Äpplet,” says Patrik Höglund, another maritime archaeologist at Vrak.
Previous finds revealed to be other ships
In 2019, the Vrak’s maritime archaeologists found two shipwrecks at Vaxholm that were thought to be Äpplet. But the surveys that took place at the time revealed that the vessels were instead Apollo and Maria, two medium-sized ships from 1648. The archaeologists refused to give up, and continued their search.
New knowledge and history
The discovery of Äpplet provides important new knowledge.
“With Äpplet, we can add another key piece of the puzzle in the development of Swedish shipbuilding,” Hansson says. “And it’s only now that we can really study the differences in the constructions of Vasa and Äpplet.”
“This will help us understand how the large warships evolved, from the unstable Vasa to seaworthy behemoths that could control the Baltic Sea – a decisive factor in Sweden’s emergence as a great power in the 1600s,” Höglund adds.
“The find is also valuable for those who want to uncover a new piece of exciting history through the old ship,” Hansson says. “Äpplet is part of our cultural heritage, so we’re arranging a lecture at the museum where we tell visitors more about Äpplet.”
Ongoing investigations
Vrak’s maritime archaeologists investigate warship wrecks in several locations along Sweden’s coasts. These surveys are being conducted within the framework of the research programme “The Lost Navy”, in collaboration with the CEMAS Centre for Maritime Studies at Stockholm University, Vrak/SMTM, and the Finnish Heritage Agency. The research programme is funded by the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond foundation.
There is a diving ban in the area where the wreck is located.
Lecture on Äpplet at Vrak – Museum of Wrecks
On Wednesday, 26 October at 6 pm, the Vrak’s maritime archaeologists will be on hand at the museum to provide visitors with more information about Äpplet. (In Swedish). The talk will also be broadcast live on our website at [vrak.se](https://www.vrak.se/sv).
About Äpplet
King Gustav II Adolf signed a contract in 1625 to build two large warships – Vasa and Äpplet. Barely a year after the sinking of Vasa in 1628, Äpplet was completed. The ship was designed by Hein Jakobsson, the same shipbuilder who completed Vasa. He realized that Vasa had the wrong proportions even before she was launched, which could lead to instability. So Äpplet was built wider than Vasa, but the construction still proved to be unsuccessful. Building large warships with several gun decks was problematic.
When Sweden joined the Thirty Years’ War in Europe, Äpplet was among the ships sailing towards Germany. The ship was deemed unseaworthy in December 1658, and was sunk at Vaxholm the following year. Read more at [vrak.se/en](https://www.vrak.se/en/).
Working both below and above the water’s surface
Vrak’s maritime archaeologists went diving to identify Äpplet and then returned to land to study the data they collected. Here’s what they did:
– Measured deck beams and other parts to assess the ship’s size and re-create the shape of the ship
– Collected material for creating 3D models
– Took wood samples to determine where the felled trees grew and when they were cut (dendrochronology)
– Studied archival material, which provided a starting point for dating and measurement data as well as facts about the history of Äpplet
– Studied Vasa and other warship wrecks to find similarities and differences in details and construction methods
Contacts
Questions about the dives in Oxdjupet and results:
Questions about Vrak – Museum of Wrecks:
Questions about the research project The Lost Navy:
Other questions:
Images and film footage:
[Vrak – Press room](https://www.vrak.se/en/about-vrak/pressroom/)
Vrak – Museum of Wrecks brings the stories of the Baltic Sea’s world-unique cultural heritage to the surface. Vrak is a museum that has diving maritime archaeologists, conducts research and collaborations – a knowledge hub for maritime archeology in the Baltic Sea.
Museum of Wrecks is located near the Vasa Museum at Djurgården in Stockholm. The museum is part of the governmental agency the Swedish National Maritime and Transport Museums.
Vrak – Museum of Wrecks, Djurgårdsstrand 17, Stockholm.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @vrakmuseum and on the website[www.vrak.se/en](https://www.vrak.se/en/)
Related / Bilder
[Without text in picture: Comparison no. 2 between Äpplet and Vasa](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140817)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 18:51
Without text in picture: Comparison no. 2 between Äpplet on the seabed 2022 and Vasa reconstructed in the museum 2022.
[Without text in picture: Comparison between Äpplet and Vasa](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140813)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 18:48
Without text in picture: Comparison between Äpplet on the seabed 2022 and Vasa reconstructed in the museum 2022.
[Without text in picture: Plan over the wreck of Äpplet](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140809)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 18:45
Without text in picture: Plan over the wreck of Äpplet on the seabed.
[Jämförelse/Comparison: Vasa och/and Äpplet 2022](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140805)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 18:39
JÄMFÖRELSE: Vasa 2022 restaurerad i museet och Äpplet 2022 på sjöbotten. COMPARISON: Vasa 2022 reconstructed in the museum and Äpplet 2022 on the seabed.
[Jämförelse/Comparison: Vasa 1962, Äpplet 2022.](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140801)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 18:38
JÄMFÖRELSE: Vasa 1962 efter bärgningen och Äpplet 2022 på sjöbotten. COMPARISON: Vasa 1962 after the salvage and Äpplet 2022 on the seabed.
[Comparison between Äpplet and Vasa](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140789)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 18:24
Comparison between Äpplet on the seabed 2022 and Vasa reconstructed in the museum 2022.
[Plan over the wreck of Äpplet](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140785)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 18:13
Plan over the wreck of Äpplet on the seabed.
[Bärgning av del från Äpplet/Salvaging of part from Äpplet](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140781)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 18:00
Bärgning av del i trä från Äpplet./Salvaging of wooden part from Äpplet.
[Bärgad del från Äpplet/Salvaged part from Äpplet](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140777)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 17:57
Bärgad del i trä från Äpplet./Salvaged wooden part from Äpplet.
[Äpplet, undre batteridäck/Äpplet, lower gun deck](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140773)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 17:50
Äpplet, undre batteridäck/Äpplet, lower gun deck.
[Kanonport Äpplet/Gunport Äpplet](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140769)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 17:48
Äpplet, kanonport sedd utifrån, på övre batteridäck vid styrbords akter./Äpplet, gunport seen from outside, on upper gundeck at starboard aft.
[Patrik Höglund.](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140765)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 17:47
Patrik Höglund, marinarkeolog/maritime archaeologist, Vrak – Museum of Wrecks.
[Jim Hansson](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140761)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 17:46
Jim Hansson, marinarkeolog/maritime archaeologist, Vrak – Museum of Wrecks.
[Jim Hansson & Patrik Höglund.](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140757)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 17:42
Jim Hansson & Patrik Höglund, marinarkeologer/maritime archaeologists, Vrak – Museum of Wrecks.
[Stockholm 1630-talet, Äpplet möjligen skeppet längst till höger/Stockholm 1630s, Äpplet possibly the ship to the right](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140753)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 17:40
Fartyget längst till höger är möjligen Äpplet; Stockholm 1630-talet. Detalj ur målning av Jacob Heinrich Elbfas./The ship to the right is possibly Äpplet; Stockholm 1630s. Detail in painting by Jacob Heinrich Elbfas.
[Planerad bestyckning flottans skepp 1629/Planned armament Swedish navy’s ships 1629](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140749)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 17:25
Planerat antal kanoner på flottans skepp 1629, Äpplet överst i listan./Planned armament Swedish navy’s ships 1629, Åpplet at the top of the list.
[Äpplet, babordssidan i höjd med undre batteridäck/Äpplet, port side by lower gundeck](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140745)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 17:18
Äpplet, babordssidan i höjd med undre batteridäck./Äpplet, port side by lower gundeck.
[Äpplet, babord skrovsida med urtag för kanonport/Äpplet, port side with recess for gunport](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140741)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 17:09
Äpplet, babord skrovsida med urtag för kanonport./Äpplet, port side with recess for gunport.
Related / Video
[Marinarkeologerna i arbete ovan vattenytan/Maritime archaeologists at work above the water surface](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140841)
Publicerad: 2022-10-24 09:16
Marinarkeologerna i Vaxholm i arbete ovan vattenytan/Maritime archaeologists at work above the water surface, in Vaxholm (outside Stockholm).
[Dykning på vraket av Äpplet /Diving on the wreck of Äpplet](https://press.newsmachine.com/media/view/140821)
Publicerad: 2022-10-22 19:06
Dykning på vraket av Äpplet från 1629, undervattensbilder./Diving on the wreck of Äpplet from 1629, underwater footage.
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