History

The caravel was a type of sailing SHIP that originated in Portugal and was used by 15th- and 16th-century explorers.

Two of Christopher COLUMBUS's ships, the Nina and the Pinta, were caravels.

The caravel was sometimes equipped with a combination of square sails and lateen sails--triangular fore-and-aft sails set on a long,

sloping yardarm--and was sometimes entirely lateen rigged.

(The lateen sail enabled a ship to take advantage of a wind from the side of the vessel.)

The caravel, which had superseded the oared GALLEY, was itself later replaced for long voyages by the heavier,

deeper-draft carrack of Venice, Genoa, and Spain.

The Caravel -- a small,wood vessel featuring lanteen, or triangular, sails--was devloped by the 15th century by

portuguese fishmen and used widely during the 15th century maritime nations.
Taken From The Digital Encyclopedia CD