When Vasa was raised in 1961 a lost world was revealed in astonishing detail. Among the most remarkable finds were the remains of the rigging. Normally shipwrecks offer only a few clues to the structure above the waterline, but on Vasa the lower masts, a myriad of blocks and deadeyes, hundreds of metres of rope and cable and - most astonishingly - nine sails from the ship and its boat survive. The unique finds provide an unparalleled opportunity to reconstruct the rigging in detail and to form an understanding of how ships were sailed in the seventeenth century. With a sail plan, rigging, and steering gear that are substantially different to the classical full-rigged ship of the nineteenth century, the evidence from Vasa paints a vivid picture of ship-handling in the Age of Sail. Vasa II Part 1 presents more than a thousand finds of wood, metal, and cloth from the most complete rig to survive from before 1800, which form the basis for a complete reconstruction of the rig and sailing performance of a large warship of the 1620s.

About the Author
Fred Hocker is the Director of Research at the Vasa Museum, responsible for historical and archaeological research concerning Vasa, the ship, and its contents. He is formerly the Yamini Associate Professor of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A & M University and worked as a wooden shipwright and shipkeeper at Mystic Seaport Museum before entering the academic world. He is also an active crew volunteer on Kalmar Nyckel, a sailing recreation of a full-rigged ship of the 1620s-1640s.


Book Information
ISBN 9789188909114
Author Fred Hocker
Format Hardback
Page Count 472
Imprint Nordic Academic Press
Publisher Nordic Academic Press