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Subject: 
Re: What we can do... (my 2 cents)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.loc.pt
Date: 
Thu, 27 Sep 2001 22:55:06 GMT
Viewed: 
2208 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Pedro Silva writes:

> Examples of Arab influence are all but scarce around here. And I'd even risk
> saying that the New World was colonized by europeans thanks to an arab
> invention: the lateen sail, said so because of the use the Southern European
> nations made of it. And it is arguable that England or France would send
> expeditions due West if Spain and Portugal hadn't done it first...


Well noted on the arab influences, but the lateen sail was supplanted by the
square-rigged sail for transatlantic voyages fairly quickly, though it
remained popular in the Mediterranean for many centuries.  Columbus' caravel
Nina was converted to a square rig, for example, though much early Spanish
and Portugese exploration was with lateen-rigged caravels.  There is some
evidence that the Romans may have used lateen sails, though what I have seen
is far from conclusive.

Let's not forget 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc.
:-)

Bruce



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: What we can do... (my 2 cents)
 
(...) All true... but I still believe that the concept behind the lateen sail (triangle + rotation around mast) allowed travelling against the wind, unlike square sails - better for back-winds (no pun intended). And I'm not sure if ALL the sails in (...) (25 years ago, 27-Sep-01, to lugnet.loc.pt, lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: What we can do... (my 2 cents)
 
(...) It's arguable that Portugal had very little interest in going West at any time (before Napoleon came around, of course :D ). Until very nearly the end of the 17th century, the Americas were more "obstacle" than anything else (Spain's dumb-luck (...) (25 years ago, 29-Sep-01, to lugnet.loc.pt)

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