Kalmar Nyckel

Type

Pinnace

Period

17th Century

Nation

Sweden

Overview: Kalmar Nyckel was a Dutch-built armed merchant ship of the pinnace type, purchased by Sweden and famed for carrying the first Swedish and Finnish settlers to North America in 1638 to found the colony of New Sweden, the predecessor of Wilmington, Delaware. It is sometimes called the "Swedish Mayflower" of the Delaware Valley. Specifications: Built in Amsterdam around 1625-1627, she was an ordinary Dutch pinas of roughly 300 tons and about 100 feet on deck. In naval service she carried a crew of around 40-55 sailors plus soldiers and was armed with 12 six-pounder cannon and 2 swivel guns. Service History: Purchased by the city of Kalmar in 1628-29 as its contribution to the Swedish Navy, she served in Gustav II Adolf's invasion fleet at Peenemünde in 1630 during the Thirty Years' War. Between 1637 and 1644 she made four round trips between Gothenburg and Fort Christina, an unmatched record for a colonial-era vessel, before being decommissioned in 1651, sold into Dutch merchant service, and sunk in 1652 while escorting Dutch fishing vessels that came under fire from English warships. Notable Facts: A full-scale sailing replica of the ship was built in Wilmington, Delaware, and launched in 1997; it now serves as Delaware's official tall ship, used for education, public sailing, and research collaboration with Sweden's Vasa Museum on 17th-century ship handling. The replica's bow carries a distinctive two-tailed lion figurehead, one tail representing the original ship and one the new build.