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How Sailing Ships Developed
A plain-language overview of how sailing ships changed over thousands of years, from reed boats and square sails to carracks, galleons and fast clippers.
Transport and Exploration
Sailing Ships and Harbors
Hulls, sails, rigging and port technology.
Canals and Locks
How artificial waterways and pound locks let boats cross hills and carry heavy goods cheaply, from China's Grand Canal to the Canal du Midi and the Erie Canal.
Clipper Ships and Fast Sail
How narrow-hulled clipper ships were built for speed in the tea and gold rush trades of the 1840s to 1860s, and why steam and the Suez Canal ended their era.
Lighthouses and Lighting the Coast
How lighthouses evolved from open fires and the Pharos of Alexandria to oil lamps, reflectors and the Fresnel lens that guided ships along dangerous coasts.
The Caravel and Long Ocean Voyages
The caravel was a light, maneuverable ship tied to Portuguese and Spanish exploration in the 1400s; here is what it was, what it could do, and what is uncertain.
The Dugout Canoe and Early Boats
A look at dugout canoes, reed boats and other simple early watercraft, how they were made with fire and stone tools, and what ancient finds suggest about their age.
The Lateen Sail and Sailing Against the Wind
How the triangular lateen sail works, why it sails closer to the wind than a square sail, and what is known and disputed about its Mediterranean and Indian Ocean history.
The Steam Paddle Boat and the Screw Propeller
How early steamboats used paddle wheels, why the screw propeller replaced them on ocean ships in the mid-1800s, and who is credited with the key experiments.
The Stern Rudder and Ship Steering
How ships were steered by side oars before hinged stern rudders appeared in China and Europe, and how tillers, whipstaffs and wheels followed.
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