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Carrack (nau)

Type Object Region Atlantic Ocean Time c. 1450–1580

The carrack (Portuguese: nau) was the dominant ocean-going sailing ship of Portugal and Spain in the 15th–16th centuries, with a rounded hull, high f…

Timeline

  1. 1531–1540North Atlantic–Caribbean routes · Caribbean SeaIn the 1530s Spain and Portugal still sent large carrack fleets across the Atlantic, carrying spices, silver, colonial supplies, and personnel, serving as the backbone ship type of transoceanic imperial logistics.
  2. 1531–1540Goa–Lisbon route · West Coast of IndiaPortuguese naus continued to ply between the Indian Ocean and Europe in the 1530s, linking Goa, Malacca, and Lisbon, supporting the spice monopoly trade with high cargo capacity while facing maritime competition from the Ottomans and regional powers.

Sources