caravel
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Caravels were a type of small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed by the Portuguese in the 15th century. They were better than the ships they replaced, such as cogs and carracks, because they had a more streamlined hull design, allowing for greater speed and agility. Caravels also had triangular lateen sails that could catch wind from different directions, enabling them to sail closer to the wind and explore new trade routes more efficiently.
It had great maneuverability and speed due to its light weight which made voyages faster. It was powered by sails(lateen-rigged) which allowed it to(head-to-wind) sail closer to the wind which made it easier to get into windward ports or docks. Being smaller and having a shallow keel,it could sail upriver in shallow caostal waters.
how did the lateen sail help the european explorers
The triangle trade in the 17th and 18th century worked in this way. Ships from New England (from Salem or Boston) would sail from North America to Africa with cargos of rum to be traded for African slaves. From Africa the cargo of Slaves would sail across the Atlantic to the Caribbean where the slaves would be traded for sugar and molasses. The ship would then sail from the Caribbean (say Jamaica) with its cargo of sugar back to New England where the sugar and molasses would be distilled into rum. And then the cycle would repeat itself.
The first known European to sail to Australia was Dutchman Willem Jansz, who landed on the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1606. However, it is believed that the Portuguese were the ones who first saw the continent, even though no records of this still exist.