Page 378 - (DK) The Ultimate Visual Dictionary 2nd Ed.

SEA AND AIR

Medieval warships and traders

FROM THE 16TH CENTURY, SHIPS WERE BUILT WITH A NEW FORM OF HULL, constructed from carvel (edge-to-edge)
planking. Warships of the time, like King Henry VIII of England’s Mary Rose, boasted awesome fire power. This
ship carried both long-range cannon in bronze, and short-range, anti personnel guns in iron. Elsewhere,
ships took on a multiformity of shapes. Dhows transported slaves from East Africa to Arabia,
their fore-and-aft rigged lateen sails allowing them to sail close to the wind around the
lands of the Indian Ocean. The Chinese sailed to East Africa SAILING WARSHIP
and Arabia in junks, trading goods that were carried in
Main watertight compartments. New astronomical tools helped Fore
yard top yard
medieval sailors to find their way. Cross-staves and
DHOW astrolabes were used to measure the altitude of the Sun
Furled
lateen or stars. One of a choice of four cross-pieces was slid
main sail
up or down the staff of the cross-stave—which was Fore
Mizzen graduated in degrees of altitude—until its top topmast
yard
aligned with the celestial body and its base with Fore
the horizon. The sighting rule of the astrolabe topcastle
Parrel was simply lined up with a known body,
Furled
lateen and its altitude read from marks on
mizzen sail Main the metal disk. With sundials, the Lift
mast
Shroud sailor could use the shadow
of the Sun to show
Mizzen Parrel the time of day.
mast tackle Fore yard

Tiller Stem
head

Fore mast

Eye Ratline
Rudder Raking stempost Fore stay Shroud
Fore
Topsail Chung-ta-wei topmast Woolding
JUNK Su-wei (main mast) stay Bowsprit
(fourth mast) Forecastle
Wei-wei
(mizzen mast)
Forecastle castle-deck
gunport
Erh-wei
Halyard
(second mast)
Sprit yard
Sail
batten T’on-wei
(port fore -
mast) Beakhead
Rigging rail
Lug sail
Chain wale (channel)
Rudder
head Hawse hole
Transom Grapnel-type Anchor cable
Quarterdeck Oar anchor
Rudder house Cargo hatch Stempost

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