In the 18th-Century, the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress served as a base for the Swedish Archipelago Fleet. In 1790 one of the largest naval battles on the Baltic Sea, and a great success for the Swedish Navy, took place on the southern coast of Finland. The fleet’s relatively small-sized but heavily armed and cleverly operated cannon sloops and cannon boats played a major role in the battle. They were designed by the famous naval architect Fredrik af Chapman, who created a number of new types of vessels for the Archipelago Fleet, at the same time turning ship building from mere craftsmanship into science.

 

The cannon sloop Diana is a replica of the late-1700s cannon sloops, and like its ancestors, it can be moved forward using sails as well as oars. Diana is also equipped with a novelty: an electric engine.  Diana was built at Suomenlinna’s historical shipyard, like many of the original 1700s cannon sloops.