DK - WOW! The Visual Encyclopedia of Everything

238

Sea-going craft have been built for at least 50,000 years.

The first boats were probably log rafts or hollowed out

tree trunks. At some point, people came up with the idea

of catching the wind by raising a piece of cloth – the first sail.

As ship building methods improved, sailors set off on longer

voyages, using their ships to explore, to trade, and to raid.

Seafarers

The size of

the sail could be

adjusted with ropes

power the ship when Oars were used to

the wind dropped

A look-out sat

in the crow’s nest

on the mast

Sails are

painted with

Christian crosses

CARAVEL ▶

The caravel was a ship for exploration,

invented by the Portuguese in the 15th

century. It had lateen (triangular) sails,

which are much better at sailing into the

wind than square sails. In ships like this,

explorers found the sea route to India.

◀ VIKING LONGSHIP

From the 8th to 11th centuries, Vikings

built ships strong enough to sail the

stormy Atlantic Ocean, and light and

slim enough to travel up shallow rivers.

EGYPTIAN SHIP ▲

This Egyptian sea-going merchant ship is

constructed from planks tied together with rope,

and dates from 2,450 bce. Its collapsible mast

carried a single square sail. Travelling against the

wind, the crew lowered the mast and used oars.

◀ GALLEON

This 16th-century English galleon warship

was also used in trading and exploration.

It had several decks, with many openings

in the sides of the hull from which guns

were fired. European navies used the

galleon until the 18th century.

Taut rope running from

each end of the ship

prevents it from sagging

238_239_Exploration.indd 238 03/01/19 12:11 PM