Christopher Columbus Essay

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Writing task A. Explain how the winds, currents, ship building and improved navigational aids assisted sailors in the 1400s to the 1500s In the early fifteenth century, Europeans sailed out of sight of the coastlines of Europe for the first time and ventured into the Atlantic Ocean. In order to navigate, sailors had to learn to harness the wind systems of the Atlantic, which produce a clockwise wind carousel north of the equator and a counterclockwise wind carousel south of the equator. The discovery could not have taken place without improved application of the leading technical and scientific knowledge. For technical application included ship design, improvements of sailing methods, the development of the navigational instruments and knowledge. By the early 15th century a new type of ship was developed known as the caravel. Improvements on the ship include 2-3 masts, with triangular sails on the yards set at 45 degrees to the masts. It increased in size and was in the process of development and was rigged with a square sail on the foremast and lateen sail on the others. Due to such improvements it enabled the ship to sail close to the winds which would be essential for successful voyages were to be made in regions where wind was unknown to the sailors. In other words the improvement and size of the ship gave it durability and the privilege for successful voyages where the wind pattern of the place was unknown. The old method of sailing was renewed and this improved development of the ship gave the sailors more control of their voyages and enabled them to maintain a much steadier course on their route on which they sail. In addition to the development of the ships it is important to have a good compass to know what direction the ship is going. The ship’s course was steered by a magnetic compass. It was not until the 1400s that the compass was restructured by
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