Caravel

The long development of the caravel was probably influenced by various Mediterranean tending or coastal craft. Among these influences might have been the boats known as {{transl|ar|qârib}}, that were introduced to the Islamic controlled parts of Iberia Al-Andalus from the Maghreb.{{Cite magazine |last=Elbl |first=Martin Malcolm |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ySKb3ZalO3wC&dq=The+Portuguese+Caravel+and+European+Shipbuilding%3A&pg=PA543|title=The Portuguese Caravel and European Shipbuilding: Phases of Development and Diversity |publisher=Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical |date=1985 |magazine=Revista da Universidade de Coimbra |volume=33 |location=Lisboa |pages=543–572 |language=en |access-date=2023-02-22 }}

The earliest caravels appeared in the thirteenth century along the coasts of Galicia and Portugal as single-masted fishing vessels.{{Cite thesis |last=Schwarz |first=George Robert |title=The History and Development of Carvels Maritime History |publisher= Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/97860056/The-History-and-Development-of-Carvels |access-date=2024-02-23 |via=Scribd |pages=75, 84 |language=en}} They were small, lightly built vessels of up to 20 tons at most, carrying, in one example, a crew of five men. Evidence suggests that these were {{tooltip|open boats|boats without decks}}. They carried a single-masted, triangular lateen sail rig. By the fourteenth century, their size had increased and their use had spread; for instance, there is mention, in 1307, of larger caravels of up to 30 tons in Biscay. Caravels were a common type of vessel in the coastal waters of the Iberian Peninsula in the fifteenth century.{{cite book |last1=Elbl|first1=Martin |editor1-last=Gardiner |editor1-first=Robert |editor2-last=Unger |editor2-first=Richard W |title=Cogs, Caravels and Galleons : the sailing ship, 1000-1650 |date=1994 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |isbn=0851775608 |chapter=The Caravel and the Galleon}}

The caravel was the preferred vessel of Portuguese explorers like Diogo Cão, Bartolomeu Dias, Gaspar, and Miguel Corte-Real, and was also used by Spanish expeditions like those of Christopher Columbus. They were agile and easier to navigate than the barca and barinel, with a tonnage of 50 to 160 tons and 1 to 3 masts. Being smaller and having a shallow keel, the caravel was suited for sailing shallow coastal waters and up rivers. With the Mediterranean-type lateen sails attached it was highly maneuverable in shallow waters, while with the square Atlantic-type sails attached it was very fast when crossing the open sea. Its economy, speed, and agility made it esteemed as the best sailing vessel of its time. Its main drawback was its limited capacity for cargo and crew but this did not hinder its success.

The exploration done with caravels made the spice trade of the Portuguese and the Spanish possible. However, for the trade itself, the caravel was soon replaced by the larger carrack (nau), which could carry larger, more profitable cargoes. The caravel was one of the pinnacle ships in Iberian ship development from 1400 to 1600.

The English name caravel derives from the Portuguese {{lang|pt|caravela}}, which in turn may derive from the {{langx|la|carabus}} or the {{langx|el|κάραβος}} perhaps indicating some continuity of its carvel build through the ages.{{cite journal | last = Sleeswyk | first = André W. | year = 1998 | title = Carvel-planking and Carvel Ships in the North of Europe | journal = Archaeonautica | volume = 14 | pages = 223–228 (224f.) | doi = 10.3406/nauti.1998.1208 | url = http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/nauti_0154-1854_1998_act_14_1_1208 | access-date = 2014-01-08 | archive-date = 2015-09-24 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924204130/http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/nauti_0154-1854_1998_act_14_1_1208 | url-status = live }}

File:Caravela Latina - Museu Arte Antiga.jpg, in Lisbon]]

File:Boa Esperança Caravel - Lagos, Portugal.jpg]]

The earliest caravels in the thirteenth century were small and are believed to have been un-decked, carrying one mast with lateen sails, while later types were larger and had two or three masts and decks. Caravels such as the caravela tilhlda of the 15th century had an average length of between {{convert|12|and|18|m|ft|abbr=on}}, an average capacity of 50 to 60 tons,{{cite book|last=Russell|first=Peter E.|title=Prince Henry 'the Navigator': A Life|year=2000|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=0-300-09130-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/princehenrythena00russ_0/page/229 229]|url=https://archive.org/details/princehenrythena00russ_0 |url-access=registration}} a high length-to-beam ratio of around 3.5 to 1, and narrow ellipsoidal frame{{cn|date=August 2024}} (unlike the circular frame of the nau), making them very fast and maneuverable{{cn|date=October 2024|reason=manoeuvrability is not an expected consequence of greater length, nor of a hull shape with greater lateral resistance}} but with a limited cargo capacity. It was in such ships that Christopher Columbus set out on his expedition in 1492, while the Santa María was a small carrack of about 150 tons and served as the flagship, the Pinta and {{ship||Niña|ship|2}} were caravels of around 15–20 m with a beam of 6 m and a displacement of around 60–75 tons. The Niña was re-rigged by Columbus with square rig to give better performance on the Atlantic crossing{{snd}}most of which was following favourable winds, for which lateen was less suitable.{{r|Elbl 1994|p=96}}

File:Caravela de armada of Joao Serrao.jpg (Livro das Armadas)]]

Towards the end of the 15th century, the Portuguese developed a larger version of the caravel, bearing a forecastle and sterncastle – though not as high as those of a carrack, which would have made it unweatherly – but most distinguishable for its square-rigged foremast, and three other masts bearing lateen rig. In this form it was referred to in Portuguese as a "round caravel" ({{lang|pt|caravela redonda}}) as in Iberian tradition, a bulging square sail is said to be round.

It was employed in coast-guard fleets near the Strait of Gibraltar and as an armed escort for merchant ships between Portugal and Brazil and in the Cape Route. Some consider this a forerunner of the fighting galleon and it remained in use until the 17th century.

File:Lisbon - Lisbonne - Lisboa 1572.png

• Iberian ship development, 1400–1600
• Notorious – a replica caravel in Australia
• Portuguese India Armadas
• Carrack, a type of round ship used in voyage to East India
• Lateen sail
• Square rig
• {{slink|Portuguese man o' war|Etymology}}
• Molasses Reef Wreck{{snd}} one of the oldest wrecks of European ships in the Americas and likely to be a caravel

{{Reflist}}

{{Wiktionary}}

• [http://nautarch.tamu.edu/Theses/pdf-files/Schwarz-MA2008.pdf The History and Development of Caravels] - A Thesis - George Robert Schwarz, B.A., University of Cincinnati, Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Luis Filipe Vieira de Castro, May 2008
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071207154919/http://museu.marinha.pt/Museu/Site/PT Museu da Marinha] {{in lang|pt}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071025015529/http://museu.marinha.pt/museu/site/pt/loja/reproducoes/ Museu da Marinha, fac-similes], {{in lang|pt}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080215014748/http://www.instituto-camoes.pt/cvc/navegaport/c06.html Instituto Camões. Caravela]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071208022611/http://www.arte.tv/de/wissen-entdeckung/abenteuer-arte/Durchbruch-am-Kap-des-Schreckens/1765302.html Durchbruch am Kap des Schreckens dir. Axel Engstfeld, Germany 2002, 52m. ZDF] {{in lang|de}}

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Category:Sailing ship types

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Category:Maritime history of Portugal

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