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The voyages of Columbus and da Gama were the early modern equivalent of the moon landing. They required new technologies, new ship designs, and new methods of seafaring. New technologies don't appear overnight. They evolve over a period of time. In this episode, I look at some of the major innovations that made long-distance ocean voyages possible: the mariner's compass, better navigational charts, the caravel with its lateen sails and stern-mounted rudder, and a better understanding of ocean wind patterns and currents.
Podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/i-take-history-with-my-coffee/
Visit my blog at itakehistory.com and also on Facebook at I Take History With My Coffee.
Comments and feedback can be sent to itakehistory@gmail.com. Refer to episode number in the subject line.
Links to resources
History of the Caravel
The Portuguese Caravel and European Shipbuilding by Martin Malcolm Elbl
The Volta do Mar
Compass: A Story of Exploration and Innovation by Alan Gurney
Portolan Charts before 1400 - British Library
Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D
