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Advances in Navigation Technology
In the 1440s European navigation technology made notable progress in ship design, instruments, and ocean knowledge;…
Timeline
- 1440–1445Sagres · AlgarvePortuguese shipbuilding craftsmen, supported by Prince Henry, improved the caravel, adopting lateen sails and shallower-draft hulls to enhance sailing to windward and coastal maneuverability, suited to Atlantic coastal exploration.
- 1443–1449Europe · Atlantic coastNavigators made wider use of the compass, astrolabe, and chart manuscripts; Portuguese exploration fleets sailing south along the west coast of Africa accumulated hydrographic and coastal intelligence, forming transmissible ocean-voyaging experience.
Sources
- European exploration https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-exploration
- Henry the Navigator https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-the-Navigator