Changes

Their size varied. Diaz sailed with two small caravels designed for poking about amongst the shoals and reefs of an unknown coast. Vasco da Gama, on the advice of Diaz, was supplied with much larger and heavily armed caravels. [[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]]’ [[The Niña]] and [[The Pinta]] were small caravels. ([[Santa Maria]] was a “Nao”, a much larger and older design, developed from the craft that had carried the Crusaders two centuries and more before.) Magellan’s fleet included large four-masted caravels.  

Their size varied. Diaz sailed with two small caravels designed for poking about amongst the shoals and reefs of an unknown coast. Vasco da Gama, on the advice of Diaz, was supplied with much larger and heavily armed caravels. [[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]]’ [[The Niña]] and [[The Pinta]] were small caravels. ([[Santa Maria]] was a “Nao”, a much larger and older design, developed from the craft that had carried the Crusaders two centuries and more before.) Magellan’s fleet included large four-masted caravels.  

The term refers to the type of hull. The hulls of caravels were a mixture of Iberian and Arab design and were carvel built. That is, the strakes, or planks, of the hull were butt jointed along their edges; not overlapping (clinker built). This meant less drag, easier cleaning and enabled the use of shorter boards and the construction of a double hull if required. This method was not new – its use has been recorded from ancient times – but the success of the caravel caused an explosion in its use, and large carvel built vessels were being built in Holland and the Baltic by the second half of the fifteenth century. The word caravel, however, usually refers to those vessels of the Iberian Peninsular.

The term refers to the type of hull. The hulls of caravels were a mixture of Iberian and Arab design and were carvel built. That is, the strakes, or planks, of the hull were butt jointed along their edges; not overlapping (clinker built). This meant less drag, easier cleaning and enabled the use of shorter boards and the construction of a double hull if required. This method was not new – its use has been recorded from ancient times – but the success of the caravel caused an explosion in its use, and large carvel built vessels were being built in Holland and the Baltic by the second half of the fifteenth century. The word caravel, however, usually refers to those vessels of the Iberian Peninsula.

Sources:

==Sources==

Dictionary of [[Ship]] Types, (Conway Maritime Press)  

Dictionary of [[Ship]] Types, (Conway Maritime Press)  

J. R. Parry, The Age of Exploration (Uni of California Press)

J. R. Parry, The Age of Exploration (Uni of California Press)