A large Spanish galleon could carry at least 40 heavy cannons below decks. In addition - and unlike the carrack - a galleon could fire cannons from both the bow and stern. These gun ports ran down both sides of the ship, sometimes with multiple levels. When required for battle, the muzzles of the cannons were rolled out to point through gun ports, wooden windows in the deck which could be closed when not in use. The reduced superstructures of the galleon were used for accommodation for officers and marines while ordinary crew members - who could number over 300 - slept in cramped conditions below deck in a period when the hammock had yet to fully catch on.Ĭounterbalancing the superstructures were an array of heavy cannons, arranged below decks on both sides of the ship. Then a mixture of pitch and tallow (animal fat) was smeared all over the hull to deter marine animals and especially shipworms. Below the waterline, hot pitch was used to coat the planks to increase the water resistance of the wood. The exterior of the hull was covered with a thick black tar mixture above the waterline to prevent rot. Galleons had a smooth carvel hull, often made of Indian teak, Brazilian hardwood, or Asian hardwoods like molave and lanang. The galleon usually had a length-to-beam ratio of 3:1. The distinctive beak-like prow of the galleon was inspired by the more pronounced version on a galley. The galleon combined the best design features of the caravel and carrack but had much lower forecastles, was faster, more manoeuvrable, and could carry many more heavy cannons. It was used as both a merchant vessel and the warship of choice for European maritime powers. The galleon was larger and more seaworthy than its predecessors in European navies. In the second half of the 16th century, the dominance of the carrack was challenged by the appearance of a new vessel: the galleon. The galleon combined the best design features of the caravel & carrack but had much lower forecastles.įamous carracks include the Santa Maria of Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) and the Victoria, which completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1522 as part of the expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan (c. 1498) and the Niña and Pinta of Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) were caravel ships. Flexible lateen sails permitted a vessel to sail within five points off the wind and even to tack (move in a forward zigzag) against a headwind. The lateen sail’s name derives from ‘Latin’ even if it was inspired by the sails of Arab sailing vessels, particularly the dhow with its single lateen sail. A crucial part of the design was the use of square and lateen or triangular sails. A caravel had a typical length-to-beam ratio of 3.5:1. The early caravels were small and weighed no more than 80 tons, but later versions did increase to 100-150 tons and even over 300 tons in the round caravel or caravela redonda class.Ī caravel had a stern rudder, two or three masts, and a distinctive raised forecastle and sterncastle. The caravel had a shallow draught, was fast, manoeuvrable, and only needed a small crew to sail. They were given the task of creating a new type of ship, and the result of their work, based on a type of Portuguese fishing vessel, was the caravel ( caravela in Spanish and Portuguese). The Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator (aka Infante Dom Henrique, 1394-1460) assembled a team of maritime experts at Sagres on the southern tip of Portugal in 1419. Flexible lateen sails permitted a vessel to sail off the wind & even to tack against a headwind.
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