Fred Hocker - The sinking of Vasa 1628

On August 10, 1628, the new Swedish warship departed Stockholm on its maiden voyage but sank before it had left the harbour on a fine summer day with minimal wind. Then as now, many wondered how this could happen. While there have been a wide and fantastical range of suggestions for why the ship sank, a careful examination using modern forensic methods reveals five contributing factors to the loss. None is by itself sufficient to cause the loss, but the combination of all five was disastrous. Environment and technology played a role, but most of the key elements are decisions made by different actors in the drama and the wartime decision-making environment. This talk will explore how this accident came to happen, and how historical and archaeological evidence can be used to reveal thought processes in the management of leading-edge technology.

Info: Please ensure you arrive no later than 18:25 as latecomers may not be admitted once the event has commenced.

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Host or Publisher Russell Napier