USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -caravel, a light sailing ship of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries in Europe, much-used by the Spanish and Portuguese for long voyages. Apparently developed by the Portuguese for exploring the coast of Africa, the caravel’s chief excellence lay in its capacity for sailing to windward.

Detailed explanation-2: -Caravels had a typical length-to-beam ratio of 3.5:1 with a shallow draught. It was also highly manoeuvrable and fast. All of these characteristics made the caravel ideal for exploring unfamiliar waters and coastal shallows where larger ships might easily have become stranded on sandbanks or damaged by rocks.

Detailed explanation-3: -Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal created the Caravel for long distance trade. It boasted two or three masts that had interchangeable sails. Square sails were used for open water while lateen sails were used for shoreline sailing. The also had a rounded bottom, making them faster than other vessels of their time.

Detailed explanation-4: -The caravel comes at the very beginning of the age of sail and of exploration, and is the direct forebear of most European sailing ships. A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean.