Carrack

History of Karak

During the 15th century, Western Europeans ventured farther and farther into Atlantic waters for empirical conquest and commercial trade. Therefore, the companies involved need a very reliable vessel to withstand the vast seas and their inherently strong storms, while also holding enough cargo to make sailing profitable.

The Carrack class was a cutting-edge design at the time, and shipbuilders in Spain, Portugal, France and other coastal countries were producing more and more sizes.

Despite their different ports of origin, these ships have some features that are fairly standard in their design. Their profile features the use of three or four sail masts. The foremost mast (referred to simply as the "foremast") has a square rigging sail mounted on a horizontal wooden beam perpendicular to the boat's keel. The "main mast" is located amidships and is the largest mast fitting, usually with square sails.

The final mast is called the "mizzen mast" and is notorious for being generally shorter than the main mast. The sail on a Mizzen mast is a triangular tie rod that sits on a long mast called a "yard" and is mounted on the mast at an angle. These ships also had a large bowsprit with sails.

The surface ship's caravan has a large stern castle and a slightly smaller forward cabin. The stern castle is used to maneuver and use muskets and small shells to attack other ships while boarding. The forecourt was used for defense and often made navigation more difficult. The stern is rounded and the main deck is large enough to support a large crew and ample artillery armament. Such an arrangement makes Karak a bit top-heavy, but as mentioned, she was primarily designed for long sea voyages, not naval combat.

As expected, the quarters below are tight, with much of the hull reserved for storage of supplies and existing cargo.

The main deck is large and can accommodate about 50 equally large crew members, sometimes with guns. The beam is 25 feet wide and about 75 feet long. These measurements relate to the design philosophy of the time and her purpose as a long-distance boat.

Future sailing warships and cargo ships will eventually reduce the beam width, rather than the length of the ship, to streamline the ship for increased speed.

Carrack proved to be a popular design in her naval history. She was the basis for several very long voyages that changed the course of history many times. Among these famous trucks are those used by explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492.

Interestingly, it was noted that he disliked the ship and called the Santa Maria a "cow" because of her difficulties with maneuvering and general navigation. The explorer Ferdinand Magellan also used a Karak-class ship while circumnavigating the world in 1519, proving the design was reliable on long voyages.

They were built and sailed until the 16th century before being replaced by improved long-distance ships, which is what they are worth.

Specification

Basic

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Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Wing