caption: A moveable rudder made the caravel more maneuverable
exif: {"Image DocumentName": "A moveable rudder made the caravel more maneuverable", "Image ImageDescription": "European shipbuilders built a better ship; The caravel was a strong ship that could travel in the open seas & in shallow water. Caravels had triangular lateen sails that allowed ships to sail against the wind. While God, glory, and gold were the primary motives for exploration, advances in technology made the voyages of discovery possible. During the 1200s, it would have been nearly impossible for a European sea captain to cross 3,000 miles of ocean and return again. The main problem was that European ships could not sail against the wind. In the 1400s, shipbuilders designed a new vessel, the caravel. The caravel was sturdier than earlier vessels. In addition, triangular sails adopted from the Arabs allowed it to sail effectively against the wind. Europeans also improved their navigational techniques. To better determine their location at sea, sailors used the astrolabe, which the Muslims had perfected. The astrolabe was a brass circle with carefully adjusted rings marked off in degrees. Using the rings to sight the stars, a sea captain could calculate latitude, or how far north or south of the equator the ship was. Explorers were also able to more accurately track direction by using a magnetic compass, a Chinese invention. A moveable rudder made the caravel more maneuverable. Cannons & rifles gave ships protection.", "Image XResolution": "37", "Image YResolution": "37", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Centimeter", "Image Software": "SlidePlayer", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered"}