Sailing ship

Lore & Background

Early sailing ships were used for river and coastal waters in ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean. The Austronesian peoples developed maritime technologies that included the fore-and-aft crab-claw sail and with catamaran and outrigger hull configurations, which enabled the Austronesian expansion into the islands of the Indo-Pacific. This expansion originated in Taiwan c. 900 AD, and New Zealand c. Later developments in Asia produced the junk and dhow—vessels that incorporated features unknown in Europe at the time.

Reader's Guide

European sailing ships with predominantly square rigs became prevalent during the Age of Discovery (15th to 17th centuries), when they crossed oceans between continents and around the world. In the European Age of Sail, a full-rigged ship was one with a bowsprit and three masts, each of which consists of a lower, top, and topgallant mast. Most sailing ships were merchantmen, but the Age of Sail also saw the development of large fleets of well-armed warships. The many steps of technological development of steamships during the 19th century provided slowly increasing competition for sailing ships—initially only on short routes where high prices could be charged. By the 1880s, ships with triple-expansion steam engines had the fuel efficiency to compete with sail on all major routes—and with scheduled sailings that were not affected by the wind direction. However, commercial sailing vessels could still be found working into the 20th century, although in reducing numbers and only in certain trades.

Did You Know?

• Austronesian rigs had spars supporting both the upper and lower edges of the sails, unlike western rigs which only had a spar on the upper edge.
• Large Austronesian trading ships with as many as four sails were recorded by Han dynasty scholars as the kunlun bo.
• The Ming dynasty saw the use of junks as long-distance trading vessels; Admiral Zheng He reportedly sailed to India, Arabia, and southern Africa.
• Dhows were often built with teak planks sewn together with coconut husk fiber—no nails were employed.