The Golden Gate. San Francisco. ་་ A CARAVAL developed by the early Portuguese and Spanish discoverers and conquistadores (1450) for their adventurous sailings in the then unknown regions of the world. Columbus sailed in a caraval to locate the East Indies and discovered America. His vessel was a little over 230 tons when fully laden. Vasco de Gama first doubled Cape of Good Hope in such a vessel, but larger (1497.) The caraval of Columbus was 128 feet in length and 26 feet in beam. she had three masts and a bowsprit. The fore and aft masts were square rigged, and the mizzen was a lanteen sail. The forecastle overhung the stern by nearly 12 feet. Aft she had a half deck and a quarter deck. At the time San Francisco bay was discovered (1770), ship designs had reached the early brig type. |