A Revolutionary Sailing Ship

The Caravel is a sailing ship that was developed by the Portuguese in the late 1400's, and was used for the next 300 years. It was an improvement on older ships because it could sail into the wind. Caravels were broad-beamed ships that had 2 or 3 masts with square sails and a triangular sail, on the bow, called a lateen. They were about 65 feet long and could carry 130 tons of cargo. Christopher Columbus’ ships, the Nina and the Pinta, were Caravels. The revolutionary design of these ships enabled Columbus to discover America and get back home to brag about it. Before the Caravel, sailing ships could only sail with the wind. In order to go against the wind, they had to drop their sails and be rowed. This was not practical for long voyages of discovery.

The first sailboats, which were used for thousands of years, used square sails and did not have a rudder or a keel. When a rudder, a keel, and a lateen sail were added, ships were “magically” able to sail into the wind! This was truly a revolutionary innovation created by the Portuguese. To understand how it works, you have to be knowledgeable about mathematics, physics, and aeronautics. The simple explanation is: wind pressure on the side of the triangular sail, opposed by an opposite pressure of water against the keel and the rudder, causes the boat to “squirt” forward; much like a watermelon seed that is squeezed by your fingers. Obviously, the ship can’t sail directly into the wind, but it can sail at a 45-degree angle to the wind. This allows it to tack back and forth and make headway into the wind. This was a very brilliant invention!

I love to sail for pleasure. It is my favorite summer pastime. I did not learn how to sail until I was 50 years of age. I bought an old Lightning and raced it (with a crew of 3) against other Lightning boats on weekends. It took quite awhile to learn the technique of sailing and to learn all the rules of racing. After 5 years of effort, I finally won the Captains’ Trophy; it was a proud day for me. Until that time, I capsized so many times that I renamed the boat, “OVER EASY”. I also had the embarrassing incident of running into another boat that had the right of way. A few years ago, I quit racing and sold the Lightning. Now, I enjoy sailing my little sunfish. It is a noncompetitive, relaxing activity.

I raise my sail,
And glide away,
With no travail,
I'm off to play!