The Vasa

A common sailor boards his ship, climbs the mast and leaves Stockholm harbor with a slight breeze. Suddenly, a gust tips the top-heavy ship over. Open gun-ports take in water, the ship floods. He jumps from the mast, and lives. The Vasa sinks—there to stay for hundreds of years.

Pete Obermanns is a retired Navy helicopter pilot, a big fan of sci-fi, and SpaceX and lives in Germany.