ship that have been found on the sea floor have all been found on the starboard side. The current theory as to how the ship sank is that she was hit by a sudden squall in rough weather, heeled to starboard, took on water and then sank. The base of the windlass attached to the foredeck, a very sturdy construction, seems to have been torn off, which suggest the sinking happened suddenly. The presence of weapons and equipment on the weather deck supports the theory that the sinking occurred suddenly. No remains of the crew have been found. Design The lower masts of both fore- and mainmasts are still standing, whereas the mizzenmast have healed over to starboard. The wreck was originally rigged as a ship, with square sails on fore and mainmasts. The hull is about 20 m long and relatively wide. The stern is round tucked, which might indicate English shipbuilding style, rather than the Dutch. The hull has three gunports along each side. Two guns have been observed at the wrecksite. Due to its maneuverability and small size, such a ship would also have been suitable for piracy. The ship once had three masts, two of which are still standing. The beakhead was adorned with a figurehead in the shape of a lion. Archaeology The comparatively cold and brackish waters of the Baltic Sea are free from the "shipworm" Teredo navalis, which rapidly destroys submerged wood in most other seas. This means that the Baltic waters have an exceptional ability to conserve wrecks for hundreds of years, and has left the wooden construction of the Dalarö wreck largely intact. As on the Vasa, metal objects such as bolts have rusted away, but the wooden construction itself remains largely intact. The wreck has been the object of several investigations by marine archaeologists from Swedish National Maritime Museum, Södertörn University, the University of Southampton and Stockholm University. Since the hull is intact and the sinking occurred suddenly, the wreck contains a multitude of objects that are interesting to archaeologists and historians. On the top deck there are several interesting finds, both ship equipment and other assorted items, including a musket. Two of the three masts are still standing, and the damaged windlass (used to winch up the anchor) can be clearly seen. There is an intact cabinet containing carpenter's tools, including an axe, a plane and an awl. Of