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The Caravel was a type of ship that has inevitably been linked with the great age of Discovery . The Caravel was a type of fishing vessel that proved so successful , that it was developed and enlarged so that it became a fair sized ship . Usually it was a vessel with a small stern castle , with a quarter deck and poop deck , but with no forecastle . The typical size was 80 - 100 tons and these ships were sent out by Portugal , on voyages of discovery in the 15th century . They were trying to find a way round Africa to the Far East in search of spices , silk and luxury goods that had been an Arab monopoly for far too long . Basically Caravel's were merchant ships and more or less a specialty of Portugal and Spain . Two of the ships that sailed on Christopher Columbus's first journey to the West Indies started of as Caravels ; these were the "Nina" and the "Pinta " . Both were small vessel's estimated as about 60 tons .
Length 65 ft.
Beam 25 ft.
Depth 10 ft.
Tonnage 60 tons
As its name suggests , the Caravel Redunda is derived from the Caravel , the only difference being the Caravel had lateen sails and the Redunda had some square sails . In some cases a Caravel was converted to a Caravel Redunda by moving the largest mast back to the centre of the ship and the second mast forward to the forecastle , then recutting the sails to fit the yards . This was done to Christopher Columbus's "Nina" at the Canary Islands on the way to America . The square sails of the "Santa Maria" , a slow ship that she was , and very unpopular with the crew , were found to be more easily handled than the lateen rigs of the original "Nina" , so she became a Caravel Redunda , similar to the one shown .
Length 65 ft.
Beam 25 ft.
Depth 10 ft.
Tonnage 60 tons
It has a high main mast with a huge sail , almost certainly fitted with a bonnet and tackle to control the centre of this large sail . The hull was deep and round , with high forecastle with a framework for an awning , the sterncastle was high with a poop deck supported on wooden pillars . A barrel on the side of the ship would be used for storing salted meat . Five small cannon are carried in the sterncastle and there is a small swivel gun in the Mizen top .
Length - 115 ft
Beam - 33 ft.
Depth - 17 ft.
Among the experimental vessels built during the reign of Henry VIII , were several types of oared ships and several small galleasses , one being "The Bull" . She was about 180 tons and rigged in the usual way of smallish ship with 4 masts , but the hull was somewhat different . There are no fore or aftercastles , there was just one long upper deck , with below this room for the rowers .There is a galley type ram fitted to the bows and the overhanging deck was used to board the enemy ship , once it had been rammed . The "Bull" was along lived ship as she is mentioned in a list dated 1591 , although she was rebuilt in 1570 .
Length 120 ft.
Beam 22 ft.
Depth in hold 11 ft.
Tonnage 180 tons
Crew 20 Soldiers , 84 Mariners & 16 Gunners
During the 16th & 17th centuries it was usual for each nation to have at least one "Great Ship" as a show piece , as much as to exert naval power .The English under Henry VII and Henry VIII had undertaken much considerable naval development , and it is thought that carrying heavy guns , firing through ports in the side of the hull emanated from this period . One of the Great ships, "Great Harry" carried 21 heavy bronze guns , 130 iron guns and about 100 barrel guns , these latter being swivel - mounted "murdering pieces" . It seems these Great Ships carried top and gallant sails on most of their masts . Approximate dimensions are
Length 185 ft.
Beam 54 ft.
Depth 30 ft.
Pieter Breughel the elder is renowned for his paintings of peasant life in Holland under the Spaniards . He also did 12 engravings of ships and this is one of them .Study of the drawing suggests this was a transitional ship between a Carrack and the Galleon . Under the bowsprit was a ram , borrowed from the Mediterranean galley . The accommodation towards the stern was a massive sterncastle about 3 decks high - many small guns were mounted on these decks , while the hull is pierced for heavier guns . The sheer seems to be excessive . Approximate dimensions are
Length 126 ft.
Beam 33 ft.
Depth 16 ft.
The Galleon is the ship that most people think of in connection with the Elizabethan period . The ships that both England and Spain used in the campaign called the Great Armada , or in Spain the "Enterprise of England " , were chiefly of the Galleon type . The tradition dies hard that the Spanish ships were much larger than the English ones , but gun for gun or ton for ton , there was not much to choose between them . Where the English scored was that the lower ships were more weatherly and so maneuvered more easily . The Spaniards wanted to fight the old fashioned way of boarding their opponents and fighting it out hand to hand . With their better artillery , the English wanted none of this , but the battle casualities were very light on both sides , the Spanish incurring further losses in shipwrecks after the battle . This is a large Galleon , with 4 masts and an awning over the rear part of the quarter deck . There is a stern gallery right round the stern , but there are no side windows to the officers cabins , the only light coming in was through the windows in the stern . Approximate dimensions
Length 135 ft.
Beam 30 ft.
Depth 18 ft.
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Material Copyright © 2000 Colin
Munro