A Ship With Square And Triangular Sails?

A lateen or Latin-rig is a triangular sail set on a long yard mounted at an angle on the mast, running in a fore-and-aft direction. Originating in the Mediterranean as early as the 2nd century AD, the lateen was an ideal medium-sized ship with low draught and a mix of square and lateen sails. The name derives from Latin, inspired by Arab sailing vessels, particularly Carracks, which carried three masts with a mix of square and lateen sails.

The history of the lateen sails begins with the square sail rig, which was a type of rigging where multiple sails are mounted to a ship using horizontal spars. The lateen sail’s triangular shape and fore-and-aft direction allowed ships to sail into the wind, while the square rig could only sail before the wind. Modern sailboats mostly use triangular sails because they can be handled by smaller crews and can sail closer to the wind.

The caravel, a small maneuverable sailing ship that used both lateen and square sails, was known for its agility, speed, and capacity for sailing. The ancient square sail permitted sailing only before the wind, while the lateen was the earliest fore-and-aft sail. The triangular sail was affixed to a long yard or mast.

In normal circumstances, ships equipped with square sails could not sail as close to the wind as those with lateen sails. Square sails required many balancing factors for the same amount of wind. The original caravel of the 15th century was a type of fishing vessel with Lateen sails (triangular sails supported by a beam at the top), which made them more maneuverable and efficient.