page_title: Iberian ship development, 1400–1600
section_title: Naus
hierarchical_section_title: Iberian ship development, 1400–1600 / Naus
caption_attribution_description: English: Detail from a map of Ortelius: Magellan's ship VictoriaEspañol: Detalle de un mapa de Ortelius representando a la nao Victoria de la expedición de Magallanes-Elcano cruzando el océano Pacífico.
context_page_description: Due to centuries of constant conflict, warfare and daily life in the Iberian Peninsula were interlinked. Small, lightly equipped armies were maintained at all times. The near-constant state of war resulted in a need for maritime experience, ship technology, power, and organization. This led the Crowns of Aragon, Portugal, and later Castile, to put their efforts into the sea.
  Due to geography, Iberian countries had greater access to the sea than did much of Europe; this allowed the Iberian kingdoms to become a people of mariners and traders. These people had the motivation to move; they were close to the wealth of Africa and the Mediterranean. Expansion and development of ship technology were due to commercial, military and religious endeavors.
  By 1411, Portugal was no longer fighting Castile. In 1415, it conquered Ceuta, its first overseas colony. The crusades cemented trade and external alliances. Portugal wanted to protect its coast from Muslim raids and secured their base in the Mediterranean. They were able to attack Muslim commerce while taking part in the trade of gold, slaves, and ivory.
context_section_description: As glorious as the caravel may have been, its light nature meant that it was susceptible to volatile ocean conditions. As journeys became longer, explorers made greater demands of the ships, so the caravel got a new partner: the nau. This vessel was designed to carry larger amounts of weaponry and cargo while still maintaining reasonable speed and durability. The hull and rig were more sophisticated than previous ships and this allowed for there to be more ease on the ocean. This form was not alien from the caravel, it was an improved version. It was able to sit high in the water; this was a hybrid idea from earlier roundships, which allowed the entire vessel to be roomier. These ships had forward masts and topsails with a crow's nest, while still mixing in lateen mizzens and square mainsails. There was a demand for a more seaworthy ship that still had the perks of the caravel, so the nau was engineered.
  In English literature naus are often mistaken for carracks, a common military ship in Britain during the early fifteenth century. Carracks were smaller ships, neither suitable for high seas nor suitable for freight.
caption: The nau Victoria of Magellan.
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