The Caravel was a ship developed by the Portuguese in the late 1400's that revolutionized marine travel in the time period. Its development was made possible by advances in astronomy. This one type of ship was responsible for much of the exploration of Africa’s coast in the Age of Exploration. Christopher Columbus' Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria were all caravels.
The Tudor Caravel was first Caravel design, originally produced as a fishing ship, but proved successful enough to be enlarged to a medium size. This was the type of Caravel sent out to look for a way to the Far East along the African coast by the Portuguese.
What made the Caravel better compared to other period vessels? The answer to this lies in the basic design of the ship. With two or three masts and a very light weight, high speeds were attained. In addition to its high speed, the Caravel also had a very high cargo capability. These two factors add up to produce a very efficient design, bringing in large profits to anyone who used it.