The Brave Portugueses

KARAVELA – AR كارافيل; DA Karavel; DE Karavelle; EL Karavelle; EN Caravel; ES Carabela; FR Caravelle; HI कैरवाल; IT Caravella; JA キャラベル船; NL Karveel; NO Karavell; PT Caravela; RU Каравелла; SV Karavell; TR Karavel; ZH 卡拉維爾帆船.

Caravel - a small agile and fast sailing ship from the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century was the first ship that allowed you to sail out of the coast on the high seas. Many great discoveries were made on the caravel, and she took part in others. In the 15th century, the Portuguese explored the west coast of Africa and also discovered Brazil on the then undiscovered continent of America. Caravel also took part in the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, America and a trip to India.

The name caravel, originally caravo or carabo, comes from the Greek word κάραβος or from the Arabic carib, qarib denoting a small or light ship.

During the 11th-13th In the 19th century, coastal fishing or merchant boats or galleys used for cabotage were improved. The hull design changed and the ship was supplemented by additional masts with sails. In this way, a new type of ship was created in the Mediterranean in the 14th century - the caravel. It was practically a larger boat with two masts, each with one Latin sail. The equipment of this kind still had four long backup oars, each manned by four men. By this time, the sailors had not been able to disengage from the coast due to strong sea currents, could not maneuver or sail against the wind, and there was a high risk of non-return.

In the 15th century, the technical development of the caravan continued. All the caravels were characterized by the fact that they had only one deck. The caravel had a torso profile with a rounded open V, a shallow keel, a sharp bow, a round stern and a smaller castle on the posterior ligament. The rudder was located in the axis of the ship on the stern and was operated by the steering lever from the castle. It had two to three, larger caravels and four, one-piece masts, each with one Latin sail. This allowed a higher speed, up to 8 knots (15 km / h) and also better dexterity, easier control of the ship and sailing against the wind - cruising. Latin sails were ideal for sailing with the constant winds of the Mediterranean. This caravel was called the Latin caravel. However, the weakness was the small cargo capacity limiting long-term voyages. Nevertheless, the Portuguese found the courage to set sail with the caravel and successfully returned from expeditions that significantly shifted geographical and other knowledge. See Bartolomeo Diaz.

At the end of the 15th century, after the return of Bartholomew Diaz from an African expedition, the Latin caravel for Atlantic voyages was improved. The fuselage gained the profile of a round U by raising the hips, rounding the bow and raising it above the hips. The castle was raised and roofed. Due to the instability of the winds, the unsatisfactory Latin sails were replaced by boom sails, except for the last mast. This created a variant of the Atlantic caravel called the redonda caravel.

At the same time, a war caravel was created, the Portuguese Caravela de Armada, which served as an escort of merchant ships, mostly from Brazil and India, due to the increasing frequency of pirate attacks. Following the model of the galleys, the fuselage was given a wide and low U profile. It usually had three large caravels and four, one-piece masts and a short headboard over a small clown. There was one mast sail on the first mast, the other masts had one Latin sail each. It was armed with smaller cannons, which were firmly attached to the deck. This caravel was one of many patterns for the later war galleon.

Caravels sailed for spices and other goods not only to India, but were gradually replaced by larger and more powerful karakas, see karaka. The caravels served as reconnaissance or merchant ships.

The famous caravel discovered the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, see Bartolomeo Diaz. The most famous Latin caravels NIÑA and redonda PINTA became famous for the voyage to America in 1492, together with the caraka SANTA MARIA, see Christopher Columbus.

In 1955, SNCASE produced the first French short and medium-haul jet. This aircraft was called Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle and was in service from 1959-2004.

NAVETA – AR (سفينة) نافيت; DA Navet; DE Navet; EL Nαβίν; EN Navet; ES Naveta; FR Navete; HI पहनना; IT Naveta; JA 通勤; NL navete; NO Navet; PT Naveta; RU Навета; SV Navet; TR Navin; ZH 改判.

Naveta was created at the end of the 14th century due to the need for larger ships than the caravel. Naveta technically preceded her more famous younger sister, Karak. She was very similar to her and easy to confuse. She was lower than Karaka and bigger than Caravel. The main difference from the caracation was that the naveta had only two decks.

In a later period, the naveta was used as a supply and pantry. See Armada Portuguese India.

The fuselage had an open round U profile and was finished with a round bow and stern. It was equipped with castles for archers, placed on ligaments. It had three one-piece masts and fronts. She had a blind sail on her forehead, the front mast had a mast, the main mast two masts, and the back mast a Latin sail. The rudder was operated by a lever.

If the naveta had any cannons, it was fixed only on the main deck and there were a maximum of 12.

KARAKA – AR قرقور (سفينة); DA Karrak; DE Karacke; EL Καράκα; EN Carrack; ES Carraca; FR Caraque; HI शासक; IT Caracca; JA キャラック船; NL Kraak; NO Karakk; PT Carraca; RU Каракка; SV Karack; TR Karak; ZH克拉克帆船.

Thanks to its cargo capacity, the Karaka is considered to be the first large European sailing ship capable of long-term voyages across the oceans. Karaka is also one of the most famous types of ships, because not only Portuguese sailors made groundbreaking discoveries on it, including the first circumnavigation of the Earth. The Karaks were also at the birth of the great colonial empires and international trade.

Karaka evolved from an Arab smuggling ship of the haraka type, see the same as a merchant ship of merchants from the Italian Republic during the 9th-12th century. The adopted Arabic name haraka was eventually changed to karaka.

Early Genoese karaka from the 12th century also served other merchants of the Italian republics. She also transported the Crusaders to Palestine. Father and uncle with Marc Pol also went through the Crimea to the Mongol Empire on this type.

This early karaka had a round O-shaped hull, with a rounded belly bow and stern and three decks. It had a high rear and lower front superstructure with uncovered archers' castles, located on the anterior and posterior ligaments. It had three one-piece masts and one Latin sail on each. On the second highest mast was a robust durable basket for archers. The rudder was already in the axis of the ship located behind the lever-operated ligament. Due to its large carrying capacity at the time, it quickly spread to Portugal and Spain. Later also in northern Europe, where it was the impetus for a new type of hulk ship, see the same. However, the price for the high carrying capacity of early karaka was a relatively low speed of 4 knots (7.5 km / h). It was armed with ballistae in the rear castle or even archers or crossbowmen.

The Portuguese during the 14th-15th century karaku improved, it was also adapted to the needs of long-term voyages on the high seas. There was also a specialization by purpose in commercial, war and large freight. In addition to the army, the war also occupied a large division of cavalry. This karaka was used until the end of the 16th century, see Felicissima Armada.

The Portuguese karaka was larger, the sides and superstructures increased. It had three or more decks, which also increased the carrying capacity of over 1000 tons. The builders also technically solved the problematic round stern and replaced it with a vertical wall - a mirror. The hull gained the profile of a high open O. As a result, the empty karaka lost even more stability and maneuverability, so the sailors loaded it most often with stones. From today's point of view, we can only admire the gambling courage of the sailors of the time that they sailed out to sea at all.

It had three two-part masts and a front was added. There was a small blind on the forehead. The first and second masts had one mast sail and the third mast one Latin. Later, a top mast sail was added to the second mast and a fourth mast with a Latin sail was added. This increased the speed to 6 knots (11 km / h).

Ballists and archers were gradually replaced by ship cannons fixed to the deck. Initially, there were only 4-6 of them in the rear superstructure, later it was along the entire length of the sides on the main deck.

By the 16th century, the Karaks had reached a carrying capacity of up to 2,000 tons, mainly Portuguese Karaks sailing to the colonies in India. There was also a gradual transformation on the galleon, see the same.

Among the most famous karaks is SANTA MARIA, with which America was discovered, whose replica sails from the Palos every year, see Christopher Columbus. Also known is VICTORIA, which circumnavigated the Earth for the first time, see Fernão de Magalhães.

Then there is the karak fleet with the flagship SÃO GABRIEL of the Portuguese First Army, which reached India for the first time, see Vasco da Gamma. Or the four karaks that sank at the Cape of Good Hope with Bartolomeo Diaz and the entire crew, see Pedro Alvarez Cabral. Furthermore, two karaks, on which coal with iron pyrite was accidentally imported from Canada instead of gold, see Martin Frobisher.

Texts: P. Patočka, P. Steinhardt, H. Prien
Translation: T. Garner
Updated: March 22, 2022
Sources: see ZDROJE