The Long Ship vs. the Round Ship

Image 1: The Byzantine galleys crash into the Rus’ ships, repelling the latter’s charge on Constantinople http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Byzantine_navy

Image 2: Lady Washington, a modern replica of the historic 90-ton brig

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Washington

My new update will be a chapter from the third manuscript which is going to focus on the opening of the sea route from Portugal to India. 

I discuss the benefits of the two main types of medieval European vessels: the galley and the sailing ships. The watercraft are compared in view of their water courses, destinations, the frequency of harbor visits, the sailing season, and the number of the crew. 

This is the extract from the article published at my author's page on Scriggler https://scriggler.com/MyStuff

You can also read the other pieces from my collection, sharing your interest with a growing community of 22 K readers. 

Dozens of marine graffiti scratched on the walls of a fourteenth-century church of the Prophet Elias in Thessaloniki, Greece depict the buoyant watercraft plying the navy blue waters of the medieval Mediterranean. (1) These samples arrange into two broad categories: the oared boat and the sailing ship.

                The lateen-rigged galleys with their slender hulls and curved sternposts carry up to three masts and possess a pair of steer rudders below the stern. They may hold a castle (2) as well as a protective rail over the oars. Armed with a single gun at the bow, the vessels are adorned with an array of flags rising over prominent parts of the vessel.

                The big sailing ships sustain three or four masts with a mixed lateen and square rig. Their external features-a straight keel, a slightly inclined sternpost, and a curved stem post-mark a compromise between the southern and the northern European shipbuilding traditions. Some of these juggernaut vessels have multiple decks and are supported by one or two castles-at the stem and at the stern-as well as the crow's nest (3) for their protection. 

                Unlike galleys, whose principal routes ran along the seaboard, sailing ships often plied deep-water courses. Roger of Hoveden, a twelfth-century English chronicler and Crusader, comments on the possibility of taking a pelagic voyage from Marseilles to Acre: after leaving the French port, the craft can keep a straight course “until they see the land of Syria". (4)

Though the watercraft powered by wind could endure a direct, open-sea crossing, they often preferred trunk routes in a detour of major Mediterranean islands. Powered only by sails, these cargo carriers were earmarked for hauling bulky, inexpensive wares, such as alum, grain, oil, salt, timber, wine, or wool.

                The long ship propelled by sails and oars carried out naval operations.  When engaged on commercial lines, they delivered lucrative commodities, such as silk and spices. The imported goods were redistributed among selected emporiums of foreign trade and sold at astounding prices. Only lavish wares could meet outstanding transportation costs.

                Galleys, whose bodies resembled the sausage cut lengthwise, were fast but capricious runners. They could make a good headway on short stretches of sea travel and under favorable conditions. Sailing down the wind, they would cut coastal waves with envious speed, leaving clumsy round ships far behind. However, on a long run, the average speed of the oared vessel would not exceed 3 knots downwind and would not surpass 1.5 knots upwind. (5) Voyages made into contrary winds usually took twice as long.