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{{Short description|Type of sailing ship}}
{{Redirect|Caravels|the band|Caravels (band)}}
{{About|a type of sailing ship|the hybrid felines|Caraval|other uses}}

{{More citations needed|date=September 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
[[File:Portuguese Caravel.jpg|thumb|200px|Model of a Portuguese caravel, found in the [[Musée national de la Marine]]]]

The '''caravel''' ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: {{lang|pt|caravela}}, {{IPA|pt|kɐɾɐˈvɛlɐ|IPA}}) is a small [[sailing ship]] developed by the Portuguese that may be rigged with just [[lateen]] sails, or with a combination of lateen and [[Square rig|square sails]]. It was known for its agility and speed and its capacity for [[Windward and leeward|sailing windward]] ([[Tacking (sailing)#Beating|beating]]). Caravels were used by the Portuguese and Spanish for the voyages of exploration during the 15th and 16th centuries, in the [[Age of Exploration]].

The caravel is a poorly understood type of vessel. Though there are now some archaeologically investigated wrecks that are most likely caravels, information on this type is limited. We have a better understanding of the ships of the Greeks and Romans of [[classical antiquity]] than we do of the caravel.<ref name="Keith and Carrell 1992">{{cite book |editor1-last=Keith |editor1-first=Donald H |editor2-last=Carrell |editor2-first=Toni L |title=Underwater Archaeology Proceedings from the Society for Historical Archaeology Conference: Kingston, Jamaica 1992 |date=1992 |publisher=Society for Historical Archaeology |isbn=9789992087121}}</ref>{{rp|2}}<ref name="Leshikar-Denton 2014">{{cite book |last1=Leshikar-Denton |first1=Margaret |editor1-last=Catsambis |editor1-first=Alexis |editor2-last=Ford |editor2-first=Ben |editor3-last=Hamilton |editor3-first=Donny L. |title=The Oxford handbook of maritime archaeology |date=2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town |isbn=9780199336005 |edition=First issued as an Oxford University Press paperback}}</ref>{{rp|636}}
 
== History ==
The long development of the caravel was probably influenced by various Mediterranean tending or coastal craft. Among these influences might have been the boats known as {{Transliteration|ar|qârib}}, that were introduced to the Islamic controlled parts of Iberia [[Al-Andalus]] from the [[Maghreb]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Elbl |first=Martin Malcolm |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ySKb3ZalO3wC&dq=The+Portuguese+Caravel+and+European+Shipbuilding%3A&pg=PA543|title=The Portuguese Caravel and European Shipbuilding: Phases of Development and Diversity |publisher=Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical |date=1985 |magazine=Revista da Universidade de Coimbra |volume=33 |location=Lisboa |pages=543–572 |language=en |access-date=2023-02-22 }}</ref>

The earliest  caravels appeared in the thirteenth century along the coasts of [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]] and [[Portugal]] as single-masted fishing vessels.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Schwarz |first=George Robert |title=The History and Development of Carvels Maritime History |publisher= Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/97860056/The-History-and-Development-of-Carvels |access-date=2024-02-23 |via=Scribd |pages=75, 84 |language=en}}</ref> They were small, lightly built vessels of up to 20 tons at most, carrying, in one example, a crew of five men. Evidence suggests that these were {{tooltip|open boats|boats without decks}}. They carried a single-masted, triangular [[lateen]] sail rig. By the fourteenth century, their size had increased and their use had spread; for instance, there is mention, in 1307, of larger caravels of up to 30 tons in [[Biscay]]. Caravels were a common type of vessel in the coastal waters of the [[Iberian Peninsula]] in the fifteenth century.<ref name="Elbl 1994">{{cite book |last1=Elbl|first1=Martin |editor1-last=Gardiner |editor1-first=Robert |editor2-last=Unger |editor2-first=Richard W |title=Cogs, Caravels and Galleons : the sailing ship, 1000-1650 |date=1994 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |isbn=0851775608 |chapter=The Caravel and the Galleon}}</ref>

The caravel was the preferred vessel of Portuguese explorers like [[Diogo Cão]], [[Bartolomeu Dias]], [[Gaspar Corte Real|Gaspar]], and [[Miguel Corte-Real]], and was also used by Spanish expeditions like those of [[Christopher Columbus]]. They were agile and easier to navigate than the barca and [[:pt:Barinel|barinel]], with a tonnage of 50 to 160&nbsp;tons and 1 to 3 [[mast (sailing)|mast]]s. Being smaller and having a shallow [[keel]], the caravel was suited for sailing shallow coastal waters and up rivers. With the Mediterranean-type lateen sails attached it was highly maneuverable in shallow waters, while with the square Atlantic-type sails attached it was very fast when crossing the open sea. Its economy, speed, and agility made it esteemed as the best sailing vessel of its time. Its main drawback was its limited capacity for cargo and crew but this did not hinder its success.

The exploration done with caravels made the [[Spice trade#Age of Discovery: a New Route and a New World|spice trade]] of the Portuguese and the Spanish possible. However, for the trade itself, the caravel was soon replaced by the larger [[carrack]] (''nau''), which could carry larger, more profitable cargoes. The caravel was one of the pinnacle ships in [[Iberian ship development, 1400–1600|Iberian ship development from 1400 to 1600]].

===Etymology===
The English name ''caravel'' derives from the Portuguese {{lang|pt|caravela}}, which in turn may derive from the {{langx|la|[[Carabus (boat)|carabus]]}} or the {{langx|el|κάραβος}} perhaps indicating some continuity of its [[Carvel (boat building)|carvel build]] through the ages.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Sleeswyk | first = André W. | year = 1998 | title = Carvel-planking and Carvel Ships in the North of Europe | journal = Archaeonautica | volume = 14 | pages = 223–228 (224f.) | doi = 10.3406/nauti.1998.1208 | url = http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/nauti_0154-1854_1998_act_14_1_1208 | access-date = 2014-01-08 | archive-date = 2015-09-24 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924204130/http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/nauti_0154-1854_1998_act_14_1_1208 | url-status = live }}</ref>

[[File:Caravela Latina - Museu Arte Antiga.jpg|thumb| What is believed to be the most accurate depiction of a lateen caravel, featured in the 16th century ''Retábulo de Santa Auta'', now at the [[National Museum of Ancient Art]], in Lisbon]]
[[File:Boa Esperança Caravel - Lagos, Portugal.jpg|thumb|right|225px|A replica of the caravel ''Boa Esperança'' in the city of [[Lagos, Portugal]]]]

== Design ==
The earliest caravels in the thirteenth century were small and are believed to have been un-decked, carrying one mast with lateen sails, while later types were larger and had two or three masts and decks. Caravels such as the ''caravela tilhlda'' of the 15th century had an average length of between {{convert|12|and|18|m|ft|abbr=on}}, an average capacity of 50 to 60&nbsp;tons,<ref>{{cite book|last=Russell|first=Peter E.|title=Prince Henry 'the Navigator': A Life|year=2000|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=0-300-09130-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/princehenrythena00russ_0/page/229 229]|url=https://archive.org/details/princehenrythena00russ_0 |url-access=registration}}</ref> a high length-to-beam ratio of around 3.5 to 1, and narrow ellipsoidal frame{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} (unlike the circular frame of the ''nau''), making them very fast and maneuverable{{citation needed|date=October 2024|reason=manoeuvrability is not an expected consequence of greater length, nor of a hull shape with greater lateral resistance}} but with a limited cargo capacity. It was in such ships that Christopher Columbus set out on his expedition in 1492, while the ''[[Santa María (ship)|Santa María]]'' was a small carrack of about 150 tons and served as the flagship, the ''[[Pinta (ship)|Pinta]]'' and {{ship||Niña|ship|2}} were caravels of around 15–20&nbsp;m with a beam of 6&nbsp;m and a displacement of around 60–75 tons. The ''Niña'' was re-rigged by Columbus with square rig to give better performance on the Atlantic crossing{{snd}}most of which was following favourable winds, for which lateen was less suitable.{{r|Elbl 1994|p=96}}

===Square-rigged caravel===
[[File:Caravela de armada of Joao Serrao.jpg|thumb|right|A typical [[square-rigged caravel]] (''Livro das Armadas'')]]

Towards the end of the 15th century, the Portuguese developed a larger version of the caravel, bearing a [[forecastle]] and [[sterncastle]] – though not as high as those of a carrack, which would have made it unweatherly – but most distinguishable for its square-rigged [[foremast]], and three other masts bearing lateen rig. In this form it was referred to in Portuguese as a "round caravel" ({{lang|pt|caravela redonda}}) as in Iberian tradition, a bulging square sail is said to be round.

It was employed in coast-guard fleets near the Strait of Gibraltar and as an armed escort for merchant ships between Portugal and Brazil and in the [[Cape Route]]. Some consider this a forerunner of the fighting [[galleon]] and it remained in use until the 17th century.
[[File:Lisbon - Lisbonne - Lisboa 1572.png|thumb|center|600px|{{center|Lisbon, 1572. Galleon (center) surrounded by carracks, galleys, round caravels, and caravels (''lateen'')}}]]

==See also==
* [[Iberian ship development, 1400–1600]]
* ''[[Notorious (ship)|Notorious]]'' – a replica caravel in Australia
* [[Portuguese India Armadas]]
*[[Carrack]], a type of round ship used in voyage to East India
*[[Lateen sail]]
*[[Square rig]]
*{{slink|Portuguese man o' war|Etymology}}
*[[Molasses Reef Wreck]]{{snd}} one of the oldest wrecks of European ships in the Americas and likely to be a caravel

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
*[http://nautarch.tamu.edu/Theses/pdf-files/Schwarz-MA2008.pdf ''The History and Development of Caravels''] - A Thesis - George Robert Schwarz, B.A., University of Cincinnati, Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Luis Filipe Vieira de Castro, May 2008
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20071207154919/http://museu.marinha.pt/Museu/Site/PT Museu da Marinha]'' {{in lang|pt}}
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20071025015529/http://museu.marinha.pt/museu/site/pt/loja/reproducoes/ Museu da Marinha, fac-similes]'', {{in lang|pt}}
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20080215014748/http://www.instituto-camoes.pt/cvc/navegaport/c06.html Instituto Camões. Caravela]''
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20071208022611/http://www.arte.tv/de/wissen-entdeckung/abenteuer-arte/Durchbruch-am-Kap-des-Schreckens/1765302.html Durchbruch am Kap des Schreckens dir. Axel Engstfeld, Germany 2002, 52m. ZDF]'' {{in lang|de}}

{{Sailing Vessels and Rigs}}
{{Largest passenger ships}}
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[[Category:Sailing ship types]]
[[Category:Exploration ships]]
[[Category:Ship designs of the Spanish Empire]]
[[Category:Maritime history of Portugal]]
[[Category:Portuguese inventions]]
[[Category:Age of Sail]]