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Iberian Caravel

Type Object Region Iberian Peninsula Time c. 1450–1600

The caravel was a light, fast sailing ship developed on the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century, noted for its carvel-built hull and lateen rig, ab…

Timeline

  1. c. 1430–1470Southern Portuguese coast · PortugalThe caravel evolved from Iberian coastal fishing vessels, adopting a carvel-built hull and lateen rig, allowing it to sail against the wind and pass hazards such as Cape Bojador, becoming the basic ship type for Portuguese exploration along the African coast.
  2. 1480–1490Shipyards of Lisbon and Seville · Iberian PeninsulaIn the 1480s Portugal developed the round caravel with a square-rigged foremast, of about 50 to 150 tons, combining maneuverability with ocean-going seaworthiness, providing the main ship type for Dias's 1488 rounding of the Cape of Good Hope and subsequent transoceanic voyages.
  3. c. 1500–1580Atlantic sea lanes · Atlantic OceanAs transatlantic and Indian Ocean trade expanded, the caravel remained heavily used for light reconnaissance and coastal sailing, but bulk cargo and armed transport were gradually taken over by larger naus and galleons, with the caravel yielding to composite ocean-going merchant-warships.

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