How many people could medieval ships carry?

How many people could medieval ships carry?

Their average size ranged between 12 and 24 meters and they could carry 20 to 30 rowers, who were also warriors.

How many men could a cog carry?

Crews of up to 45 for civilian cogs are recorded, and 60 for a 240 ton cog being used for military transportation.

How were medieval ships powered?

The ships of Medieval Europe were powered by sail, oar, or both. The period would also see a shift from the steering oar or side rudder to the stern rudder and the development from single-masted to multi-masted ships. …

How many men could a Carrack hold?

A few specifics: Vespucci’s carrack shown in Figure 1 was said to have had a crew of about 86 people. Magellan’s carrack Victoria may have carried about the same complement or as few as 40 depending on the various sources.

How fast were medieval ships?

Vessels could not reach their maximum speed until they met the waters south of Rhodes. When we combine all the above evidence we find that under favorable wind conditions, ancient vessels averaged between 4 and 6 knots over open water, and 3 to 4 knots while working through islands or along coasts.

Were medieval ships painted?

In the 17th century they did not have waterproof paint. Paint then was mostly to preserve the wood and stop it from rotting, and for decoration – sometimes for identification (ie different nations commonly used colours that would identify which country their ship belonged to).

What is a war galley?

Galleys were the warships used by the early Mediterranean naval powers, including the Greeks, Illyrians, Phoenicians, and Romans. They remained the dominant types of vessels used for war and piracy in the Mediterranean Sea until the last decades of the 16th century.

How fast would a medieval cog sail?

What were medieval sails made of?

Traditionally, sails were made from flax or cotton canvas.

What is the difference between a Carrack and a galleon?

Carracks also tended to be lightly armed and used for transporting cargo in all the fleets of other Western European states, while galleons were purpose-built warships, and were stronger, more heavily armed, and also cheaper to build (five galleons could cost around the same as three carracks) and were therefore a much …

How far could a medieval ship travel?

With an average distance of approximately 3,000 miles, this equates to a range of about 100 to 140 miles per day, or an average speed over the ground of about 4 to 6 knots.

How far could a medieval boat travel in a day?

How many miles could a medieval ship travel in a day? Anything between 50-100 miles a day is reasonable enough. You might go to 120 miles/day or so for a good ship in good conditions – that’s an average 5 mph in the intended direction, which is about the highest plausible number pre-Age of Sail.

How were the ships of medieval Europe powered?

The ships of Medieval Europe were powered by sail or oar, or both. There was a large variety, mostly based on much older conservative designs. Although wider and more frequent communications within Europe meant exposure to a variety of improvements, experimental failures were costly and rarely attempted.

What is the difference between North and South American Shipbuilding?

Ships in the north were influenced by Viking vessels, while those in the south by classical or Roman vessels. However, there was technological change. The different traditions used different construction methods; clinker in the north, carvel in the south.

How did the Vikings influence the development of ship technology?

Although wider and more frequent communications within Europe meant exposure to a variety of improvements, experimental failures were costly and rarely attempted. Ships in the north were influenced by Viking vessels, while those in the south by classical or Roman vessels.

When did ships become big enough to cross the oceans?

If we take the years from A.D. 600 to 1500 as covering the Middle Ages, we shall find a time when, by trial and error, by experiment and failure, a sailing vessel with multiple masts, yards and sails, gradually emerged big enough to cross oceans, and deep- bellied enough to carry scores of people with their sustenance.