PORTUGUESE CARAVEL

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

PORTUGUESE CARAVEL

Post by aukepalmhof » Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:56 pm

The caravel, of Portuguese origin, was a two or three-masted, shallow draught vessel, swifter and more graceful than the carrack, with two distinct sail rigs. The ‘caravela latina’ (as seen on the stamp) was lateen- rigged on all masts; the ‘caravela redonda’ was fully square-rigged or both square and lateen-rigged.

Used largely for coastal work, caravels played an important part in maritime history, for Henry the Navigator, of Portugal, used them at the beginning of the 15th century to open up the trade routes to India.
SANTA CLARA (called NIÑA after her captain Juan Niño), which accompanied the SANTA MARIA to America, was about 60 tons, seventy feet overall, with a twenty-four foot beam and a draught of six feet.
She started the voyage as a ‘caravela’ latina’, but Columbus found this rig unsuitable for the existing winds and converted her to a ‘caravela redonda’ in the Canary Islands. This was done by stepping the raking mainmast well forward in a vertical position and strengthening it by means of a forestay to a bowsprit. The long lateen yards were cut down to square-rigged yards and the suit of lateen sails recut to fit them.

The stamp depict the vessel sailing with her keel and rudder just reaching the water, a designer mistake.

Grenada 2001 75c sg?, scott?
Gambia 1980 75b sg443, scott415
Portugal 1983 25 es. sg1918, scott? (Portuguese caravel on Flemish tapestry 16th century.)
St Thomas & Prince 1979 50c sg?, scott534, and Dh5 as a two mast caravel, sg?, scott537.
Dominica 1991 $4 sg1412, scott 1303.

Copied from Sailing Ships and Sailing Craft by George Goldsmith-Carter.
Attachments
tmp11B.jpg
portuguese caravel.jpg
Portuguese caravels on Flemish tapestry (16th century).jpg
Image (26).jpg
Image (27).jpg
Image (23).jpg
Last edited by aukepalmhof on Wed Oct 17, 2018 7:34 pm, edited 4 times in total.

Arturo
Posts: 723
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:11 pm

Re: PORTUGUESE CARAVEL

Post by Arturo » Thu May 01, 2014 6:35 am

The stamp depicts a Portuguese Caravel on the 500th Anniversary of Discovery of Ascension Island

Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) from the coast of Africa and 2,250 kilometres (1,400 mi) from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa.

João da Nova, of course with a Portuguese Caravel, sailing for the Portuguese Crown, first discovered the island in 1501 and named it Ilha de Nossa Senora de Conceição, but the discovery was quickly forgotten. In 1503, the Portuguese navigator Afonso de Albuquerque, on a Portuguese Caravel, sighted the island on Ascension Day (20 March) and named it Ilha de Ascensão after this feast day. Dry and barren, the island had little appeal for passing ships except for collecting fresh meat, and was not claimed for the Portuguese Crown.

Mariners could hunt for the numerous seabirds and the enormous female green turtles that laid their eggs on the sandy beaches. The Portuguese also introduced goats as a potential source of meat for future mariners.

Ascension Island, 2001, S.G.?, Scott; 774.

Source: Wikipedia.
Attachments
P Caravel.jpg

Arturo
Posts: 723
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:11 pm

Re: PORTUGUESE CARAVEL

Post by Arturo » Sat May 03, 2014 3:46 pm

Picanco Portuguese Caravel Type Ship

Umm All Qiwain, ????, S.G.?, Scott;?
Attachments
Picanco.jpg

Arturo
Posts: 723
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:11 pm

Re: PORTUGUESE CARAVEL

Post by Arturo » Fri Dec 05, 2014 9:59 pm

Portuguese Caravel

Sierra Leone 1984, S.G.?, Scott: 639.
Attachments
Portuguese Caravel.jpg

Arturo
Posts: 723
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:11 pm

Re: PORTUGUESE CARAVEL

Post by Arturo » Thu Dec 18, 2014 9:17 pm

Portuguese Caravel

Portuguese 1989, S.G.?, Scott: 1752.

Portuguese 1990, S.G.?, Scott: 1818.

Portuguese 1998, S.G.?, Scott: 2226.

Portuguese 2001, S.G.?, Scott: 2454b.
Attachments
1.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg

Post Reply