The age of exploration, or the age of discovery, was a monumental period in world history.The people of the European nations left their home shores to discover what lay beyond the familiar land and waters. For ‘God, Gold, and Glory’ brave explorers like Christopher Columbus and Vasco de Gama faced uncharted waters and stormy seas to find the rich lands that had been habituated for millennia.During this period, every detail in a vessel was important in determining how fast one could get to the destination, how rough the journey would be, and how much freightage the ship would be able to hold. One pivotal invention made it possible to transport cargo across the oceans faster than other ships.As trade demands grew and more and more goods had to be transported, vessels like the caravel, that could withstand a lengthy expedition, became important. The humble caravel was used by the Portuguese and Spanish to carry goods across long routes.Prince Henry, the Navigator of Portugal, and an important figure in maritime exploration journeyed out to the West African coast in the 1440s using a caravel.Learn more about the innovation that was the caravel and the role that it played in the history of Trans-Atlantic exploration.What is a caravel?Before we get into the finer details, it might be helpful to have a general overview of what exactly the caravel is and why it was so dependable.The caravel is a small, light, and fast-moving vessel used widely from the 15th-17th centuries for long voyages or expeditions across the oceans.The ship had triangular sails designed to promote speed and proved to be resilient against the wind.At top speed, it could reach 8 knots, which is about 9 mph (14 kph).The name caravel comes from the shipbuilding term ‘carvel’, which is a method where the hull planks don’t overlap each other as they do in clinker-builds, but are instead tightly laid edge-to-edge.Two of the three ships that Christopher Columbus used for his first voyage were caravels. The larger ship, La Santa Maria, was owned by Castilian cartographer, Juan de la Cosa. The two caravels were locally built. Ninã, or Santa Clara, was Columbus’s favorite ship.With time, the caravel was replaced by more profitable vessels like carracks (nau) and the Portuguese galleon. Carracks were developed to allow trade between Europe and Africa. The ships were stable and could carry a large haul. The Portuguese galleon was a fully-rigged ship that functioned as a warship. The name ‘galleon’ came from Old French ‘galion’ which meant ‘armed ship of burden’.History And Origin Of The CaravelIt’s difficult to track down exactly who created the caravel, but we have plenty of clues in historical records that trace the caravel’s history many, many centuries back.One of the oldest historical records mentioning early caravels is found in the state archives of Genoa, a port city in Italy. A manuscript belonging to Giovanni Scriba, dated 1159, alludes to a caravellum coopertum in league with a navis (large sailing vessel). The caravel was most likely used to transport goods and people from the bigger ship to the shore. Other than these details of the caravel being a ship tender, and containing at least one deck, little else is mentioned in the document.The caravels of the mid-13th century were mostly used for fishing and light cabotage along the coast of the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas.The ships had a keel-to-beam ratio (ratio of the length to the beam) of 5:1. The keel or the bottom of the vessel was not far below the water. This, along with the low sides, ensured optimal maneuverability.There are mentions of a 14th-century caravel, around the Bay of Biscay, that would hold small crews of only about nine men. However, there are very few mentions of the caravel in 14th-century historical records.Caravels in the 15th-century underwent significant changes. They became heavier and more robust. Earlier, the small ships were suited for the coasts but they were now capable of traveling on the high seas.15th-Century records show that the ships were used for expeditions to Tangier and along the rocky coasts of West Africa. The caravel’s capability to sail windward was especially important for the voyages to Africa during the Age of Discovery.By the end of the 15th century, the caravel had evolved into a broad-beamed sailing vessel weighing 50-60 tons (50,000-60,000 kg) and measuring 75-80 ft (22-24 m). The 15th and 16th century caravels were extremely fast and a breeze to maneuver.What were the advantages of the caravel?The caravel started off as a coastal vessel and could, later on, be found on the rough sea waves. The little ship performed exceptionally well wherever it was taken.The lateen caravel was capable of sailing at high speeds and, unlike many other ships, into the wind. Even though they were light, the vessels could carry up to 130 tons (130,000 kg) of cargo.The sail of the lateen caravel was the earliest form of the fore-and-aft sail (a sail set parallel or lengthwise to the keel, the structural backbone of a vessel). The lateen sail had a very small surface and took wind on both sides, allowing the vessels to move fast on shallow water.Later on, when the round caravels developed a square sail combined with the lateen sails, it could take catch more wind on the beam.Crew Size And Design Of The CaravelWhat were the design aspects that made the caravel such an effective sailing vessel? Moreover, who were the people that would steer the ships? The answers are right here!Caravels initially had two to three masts with lateen sails.They generally measured between 39-59 ft (12-18 m) and weighed anywhere from 50-60 tons (50,000-60,000 kg). Later on, the ship evolved to have four masts. The deck was usually 10 ft (3 m) above the water.The original caravel had a very distinctive shape and features. The bow or prow of the vessel (the most forward point of the ship) sloped gently and it had only one stern castle.The lateen sails that made caravels fast were one of its main identifying characteristics.Towards the late 15th century, the Portuguese made a few design changes to the caravel. They added a forecastle, which was the upper deck of a vessel that held the living quarters. They also added a store in the castle or after the castle which is the raised area behind the mizzenmast (the third mast from forward) where the captain’s cabin usually was.This Portuguese round caravel is recognized as a square-rigged caravel for its instantly distinguishable square-rigged foremast, followed by three other masts. The Portuguese referred to the vessels as caravela redonda or ‘round caravels’.The crew size of the Portuguese caravel would range from 20-30 people.The crew consisted of the captain (who was most often a nobleman or a merchant), a navigator, men-at-arms, sailors, and a slave interpreter.Expeditions at the time were mostly slave raids, explaining the slave interpreter and men-at-arms. The slave interpreter was usually rented from his owner in exchange for the price of one new slave.
The age of exploration, or the age of discovery, was a monumental period in world history.
