"Caravels, Carracks, and Galleons" Topic

I have a question as to how much overlap in the use of Caravels and Galleons there was. Were they still crossing the atlantic in the time of Philip and Elizabeth?
Thanks

Caravels, carracks, and naos generally evolved into the galleon. However, examples of all three participated in the Armada. Carracks were still is use in the early c.17th on routes to the Far East. Caravels and galleons continued in use into the c.18th in trans-Atlantic use (caravels) and world-wide (galleons). So there is considerable crossover, but much depends on exactly how you define the separate ship-types.

Next: fluyts, fly-boats, and felibotes!

Allen

What about polacres?

What about 'em?

I have caravels, carracks, naos and galleons in my 1/300 Armada stuff.

So there is considerable crossover, but much depends on exactly how you define the separate ship-types.

Allen has it right – confusion comes from changing terminology as much, possibly more, than changing technology and design.

The Carrack was never that popular in northern Europe except as a warship so was soon replaced by the galleon & the 'race built' galleon but still remained in use in the Med well into the 17th century. Later forms referred to be Allen did not have the high castles but still retained basically the same hull form – cheaper to build and operate than a galleon.

The lateen rigged caravel was still in use into the mid 19th century (and possibly later), though only as quite a small craft. It was a handy, general purpose vessel in the Med and around the African coasts.

The race built galleon evolved into the ship of the line.

I believe that small Polacres are still used as fishing vessels throughout the Med.

Nao simply means ship and it only seems to have referred to a specific type for a short period of time. In the Armada these were slow bulk carriers (possibly the same as the ships called 'Urcas' in some descriptions).

The race built galleon evolved into the ship of the line.

Not sure on this…. Race built galleons were a brief phenomena and were built alongside traditionally lined "greatship" galleons. Race builts ceased to be built after Elizabeth's time, and in fact most of the surviving ones were rebuilt in the early 1600's in the manner of "greatships" with high castles at both ends. They retained their original fine lines under water, but the castles and added weight spoiled their sailing.

Subsequent ships, such as the Prince were closer in lines to the older greatships which had a less remarkable length-to-breadth, and those lines carried right through to the end of the century. Only the "Speaker" type "frigates" of the early mid-century approached the race builts in terms of length-to-breadth ratio, and then only temporarily, as that type of ship became increasingly indistinguishable from the smaller "greatships".

Hi

"Race built" is an "englishism" from the french "razee" or cut down.

Rocky