Caravel

[3] The earliest caravels appeared in the thirteenth century along the coasts of Galicia and Portugal as single-masted fishing vessels.

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.

[5] The caravel was the preferred vessel of Portuguese explorers like Diogo Cão, Bartolomeu Dias, Gaspar, and Miguel Corte-Real, and was also used by Spanish expeditions like those of Christopher Columbus.

Caravels such as the caravela tilhlda of the 15th century had an average length of between 12 and 18 m (39 and 59 ft), an average capacity of 50 to 60 tons,[7] a high length-to-beam ratio of around 3.5 to 1, and narrow ellipsoidal frame[citation needed] (unlike the circular frame of the nau), making them very fast and maneuverable[citation needed] but with a limited cargo capacity.

The Niña was re-rigged by Columbus with square rig to give better performance on the Atlantic crossing – most of which was following favourable winds, for which lateen was less suitable.

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.