The Vasa

Today's post, after a month hiatus is part anecdote, part Software Engineering advice, since I imagine a good part of my readership (if it indeed exists) must contain Computer Science people. The story is about a Swedish ship called Vasa, which sank 330 years ago. The story goes that during the ships construction, with the design already made, and most of the hull already laid down, king Gustavus Adolphus decided that just one gun deck was not enough, so he demanded two. At the time, Sweden was not yet renowned as the land of sexual liberation and safe cars, and since nobody had the guts to tell the king he was a dimwit regarding shipbuilding, his modifications were made. The result, the maiden voyage lasted about 20 minutes, and with first strong wind capsized the ship, resulting in it making water immediately and sinking within 7 minutes. At least, thanks to the bay of Stockholm, the ship has been preserved almost intact, including parts of the ship sails to this day.

From Stockholm