Ocean-going merchant ship (nau/carrack)

Timeline

1. c. 1400–1460Genoa and Iberian ports · Atlantic OceanThe carrack evolved from the fusion of single-masted cog and Mediterranean merchant ship technology; Genoese merchants first used it for Northern Europe–Mediterranean trade, and Iberian shipbuilders subsequently adapted it into an ocean-going hull capable of carrying large quantities of supplies and cargo.
2. 1480–1490Lisbon · PortugalFacing the caravel's insufficient payload and endurance, Portugal in the 1480s standardized the nau as an ocean-going merchant ship fitted with two tiers of square sails, a sterncastle, and ample water storage, of about 120 to 600 tons, laying the foundation for the later India route and transoceanic colonial transport.
3. c. 1500–1580Indian Ocean and American routes · Atlantic OceanIn the first half of the 16th century the nau carried out transoceanic tasks such as the spice trade, silver transport, and colonial provisioning; Magellan's fleet's Victoria was of this type. By the end of the 16th century, more maneuverable galleons gradually replaced the traditional nau in armed merchant transport.