How Would Medieval Ships Sail Upriver?

The medieval period saw the development of various ship types and classes, including boats, oars, and warships. Ships sailing upstream through the Bosphorus would drop a sea anchor into an underwater current that flows in the opposite direction. The Black Sea water flows into the Sea of Marmara, while a colder, denser current flows into the Black Sea. Boats could be rowed, poled, or towed by people or beasts of burden. Poling and the dispute began with the publication of an article by Jim Edwards and Paul Hindle suggesting that England’s Medieval rivers were capable of sailing upriver under almost any wind conditions.

In developed areas, oxen, horses, and other beasts of burden could be used to pull boats and ships upriver. Men and women would also haul boats upriver themselves. In cities like London and Philadelphia, where water access via river was not directly on the coast, it is unclear how sailing ships were able to access them.

Medieval Europe had a large variety of ship types and classes, mostly based on older, conservative designs. When traveling downstream, boats were either propelled along by the current or sails would employ wind power. To move upriver, men or draught animals on towpaths were used to haul the boats on long ropes. In shallow waters, boats could also be propelled upstream by long poles.

Tacking was a difficult practice for European ships, as they would sail as close to the wind as possible until they reached one bank of the river, then turn around and sail. Punts, barges, and hulks were poled or towed up the river.

Medieval boats had flat bottoms and could sail up and down rivers that aren’t navigable for modern boats. The two most obvious options for sailing were through Gibraltar and up the Atlantic coast of Portugal, Spain, and France, or to have the boat trucked.

How did ships sail upstream?

The most common would be to simply row upstream. A dedicated river boat would have a crew of rowers, but many sailing vessels would have provisions for mounting oars. Otherwise, a larger sailing ship, if you needed to take it upriver, could lower the ship’s boats and have them tow the ship.

How were ancient ships propelled?

Navigation on the sea began among Egyptians as early as the 3rd millennium bce. Voyages to Crete were among the earliest, followed by voyages guided by landmark navigation to Phoenicia and, later, using the early canal that tied the Nile to the Red Sea, by trading journeys sailing down the eastern coast of Africa. According to the 5th-century-bce Greek historian Herodotus, the king of Egypt about 600 bce dispatched a fleet from a Red Sea port that returned to Egypt via the Mediterranean after a journey of more than two years. Cretan and Phoenician voyagers gave greater attention to the specialization of ships for trade.

Model of a Phoenician ship, 13th century bce; in the Museum of the Philadelphia Civic Center.

The basic functions of the warship and cargo ship determined their design. Because fighting ships required speed, adequate space for substantial numbers of fighting men, and the ability to maneuver at any time in any direction, long, narrow rowed ships became the standard for naval warfare. In contrast, because trading ships sought to carry as much tonnage of goods as possible with as small a crew as practicable, the trading vessel became as round a ship as might navigate with facility. The trading vessel required increased freeboard (height between the waterline and upper deck level), as the swell in the larger seas could fairly easily swamp the low-sided galleys propelled by oarsmen. As rowed galleys became higher-sided and featured additional banks of oarsmen, it was discovered that the height of ships caused new problems. Long oars were awkward and quickly lost the force of their sweep. Thus, once kings and traders began to perceive the need for specialized ships, ship design became an important undertaking.

How did ancient Greek ships steer?

In addition to trireme rowers, the ship was equipped with a square sail of papyrus or flax (or sometimes two), used when cruising and taken down and stored on land when in battle conditions. Steering was achieved through two steering oars at each side of the stern and controlled by a single helmsman (kybernetes). Next to the helmsman stood the ship’s commander (trierarchos), and both were protected by the upward curving structure at the stern known as the aphlaston. Other crew members were the rowing master (keleustes) who shouted instructions, the ‘bow officer’ (prorates) who relayed those instructions further down the ship, a piper (auletes) who kept time for the rowers playing an aulos, a carpenter (naupegos), and deck crews to man the sails.

Prows were often decorated to resemble animal heads, and a common feature was the attachment of large, painted marble eyes. The hull itself was painted with waterproofing pitch, giving the distinctive black appearance so often referred to by Homer. Ships were regarded as females and also given names, for example, Artemis, Equality, Sea Horse, and Good Repute.

Military Use. The principal weapon of the trireme was the bronze-sheathed battering ram affixed to the prow which was used to sink enemy ships. These often took the form of animals, for example, the head of a goat. However, ramming would have rarely sunk an enemy vessel and an important secondary strategy was boarding the enemy ship. For this reason, the typical Athenian crew included a complement of ten hoplites and four archers.

Could Vikings sail upwind?

The Viking longboats dod have a keel. It was not deep, but it was long and would have helped with sailing closer to the wind. With their single, square rigged sail an the lack of a deep keel they would not sail as close to the wind as a modern sailboat, but could probably manage at least 60 degrees off the wind.

How did Viking longships sail in shallow waters?

What sort of ships did the Vikings have?. The Vikings built many different kinds of craft, from small fishing boats and ferries, to their famous longships. They were all made from planks of timber, usually oak, overlapped and nailed together. The ships were made watertight by filling the spaces between the planks with wool, moss or animal hair, mixed with tar or tallow. The ships were all the same long narrow shape, with shallow draughts. This meant that they could be used in shallow water.

Vikings used longships to make raids and carry their warriors. Often, the prow (front) of the ship was decorated with a carving of an animal head – perhaps a dragon or a snake.

Cargo vessels were used to carry trade goods and possessions. They were wider than the longships and travelled more slowly. Planked deck were only laid at the ends of the ship, so that space was left in the middle for cargo.

How did the Vikings ships move?. The ships were powered by oars or by the wind, and had one large, square sail, most probably made from wool. Leather strips criss-crossed the wool to keep its shape when it was wet. Viking ships also had oars. A steering oar or ‘steerboard’ was used to steer the ships. It was fastened to the right-hand side of the ship at the stern (back).

How was a Viking longship steered?

A steering oar or ‘steerboard’ was used to steer the ships. It was fastened to the right-hand side of the ship at the stern (back).

The ‘Vikings’ were seafaring raiders and traders from Scandinavia. The period known as the Viking Age lasted from AD 700 until 1100.

‘Viking’ was the name given to the seafarers from Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. During the Viking age many Vikings travelled to other countries, such as Britain and Ireland. They either settled in these new lands as farmers and craftsmen, or went to fight and look for treasure.

How do we know about the Vikings?. Archaeologists have studied the remains of Viking farms, villages and towns and have put together a picture of how they might have lived. Graves have given us lots of information about the Viking way of life, because some important Vikings were buried with their possessions. Several buried or sunken ships have been found, and these have helped us to understand their seafaring technology.

How were medieval ships steered?

The February 2017 Naval History included an excellent recounting by retired U.S. Navy Commander Tyrone G. Martin of the early history of steering (“Steering a Ship with a Pole,” pp. 8–9). He outlined the evolution of mechanical aids, from the use of a special oar mounted on the counter of vessels in the ancient world, to the whipstaff—the “pole” of his title. As ships grew in size, their steering mechanisms had to evolve as well. When medieval sailing ships appeared, they were too large to be controlled by steering oars, which were replaced by a rudder hung from the stern post and controlled by a tiller.

By the 16th century, warships were becoming ever larger, with dedicated gun decks topped by raised poop and quarterdecks. The command-and-control center of these ships was on the highest deck, where the captain had reasonable visibility. Unfortunately, the tiller, still physically attached to the rudder head, now lay deep within the ship. The solution, Martin explained, was to use a vertical lever, the whipstaff, that passed through the intervening decks to the tiller. This allowed the helmsman to be positioned close to the captain. By the start of the 18th century, however, warships continued to increase in size, and the whipstaff’s limitations were becoming apparent.

For one thing, a whipstaff on a large ship could only provide at best 5 degrees of yaw either side of center. This was adequate for blue-water sailing, but not for maneuvering in battle or navigating safely through a busy roadstead. Steering bigger ships with larger rudders required the application of greater mechanical force, but the whipstaff was already as long as was practical. This only left mariners with the option of adding ever more helmsmen to do the physically demanding work of heaving on the lever, but this was not conducive to precise or subtle changes in course.

The solution was to find an alternate means of controlling the rudder, and this seems to have come about through an evolutionary process rather than a sudden change. In heavy weather, it was common practice on larger ships to disengage the whipstaff and steer by means of tackles (a system of ropes and pulleys, to the landsman) leading from the tiller end to the side of the ship, manned by lines of crewmen.

How did Vikings sail upriver?

Smaller cargo ships were used on rivers, notably on Viking trade routes in Russia. These ships had larger crews (perhaps ten men) and more oars so as to be able to travel up river. These ships could be portaged if needed.

Much of the text presented on this page is out-of-date. Until we find time to make the needed updates to this page, we strongly encourage readers to look at this topic as it is presented in our new book, Men of Terror, available now from your favorite book seller.

The Viking ship was perhaps the greatest technical and artistic achievementof the European dark ages. These fast ships had the strength tosurvive ocean crossings while having a draft of as little as 50cm (20inches), allowing navigation in very shallow water.

Ships were an important part of Viking society, not only as a means of transportation, but also for the prestige that it conferred on her owner and skipper. Their ships permitted the Vikings to embark on their voyages of trading, of raiding, and of exploration.

How did galleons sail upwind?

Both galleons and pirate ships relied solely on the power of the wind to move them forward. The sails were designed to get maximum advantage from the wind. By adjusting the position of the sails, the ship could change direction. The sails were attached to the masts by horizontal beams called yards. Ropes, called lifts, held them in place. Other ropes, known as halyards, hoisted the sails into position. The crew climbed up and down the rigging to furl or unfurl the sails, to reach the crow’s nest, or to attack invaders on the deck below.

Rigging. The ship’s sails, together with the ropes used to adjust them, were called the rigging. A sail was attached to the mast on a horizontal yard, held in place by ties and lifts. It was hoisted into place by halyards. Men climbed up and down the rigging on rope ladders, called ratlines. The galleon had three masts. From the bow (front of the ship) they were the foremast, mainmast and mizzen mast. The standing rigging held the masts securely in position. They consisted of ropes called shrouds, which attached the masts to the ship’s sides, and stays, which ran between the masts.

How did tall ships sail upwind?

In this way, a sailing boat or ship with fore-and-aft sails can sail as close as 45° off the wind. To get somewhere directly upwind, all it has to do is continually change direction (called tacking, wearing or gybing), keeping as close to the wind as it can. There are a couple of other forces at play, too.

Let’s play for a moment. Imagine you are standing on the deck of a ship – a tallship, one with tiers of large white sails, a huge ship’s wheel, and a long bowsprit reaching forward of the 60-odd metres of deck. You’re in the middle of the blue ocean, far from any visible land. A lone albatross drifts on the waves and then the wind begins to pick up, skimming across the water and rattling ropes and tackle. As you hear the loud call of ‘two!-six!-heave!’, rigging creaks, masts groan, the enormous expanses of sailcloth above you catch the wind, and the ship begins to pick up speed.

What’s happening is a common marvel of one of the most delightful of sciences: physics. In December I had the chance to sail the tall ship SV Tenacious across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand. Tenacious is a remarkable and unique wooden sailing ship built to accommodate people with disabilities – including wheelchair users and the visually or hearing impaired – sailing alongside able-bodied crew. It’s a remarkable program that offers otherwise inaccessible experiences. Whilst on board and I was also able to think about the driving forces that allow this amazing mode of transportation to take place. So what’s really going on?

MotionFirst, we need to move! To create forward motion using just the materials of the ship, and the wind, air and water, requires a perfect balance of forces. When the wind is pushing from behind the ship, it’s quite straightforward: the huge ‘square’ sails (named for their position ‘square’ across the deck, not their squarish shape), can be set open to the wind; the wind exerts a force on the large sail area, which exerts an equal and opposite force on the wind (as per Newton’s Third Law of Motion) and if these forces are great enough to overcome friction and the resistance of the water, the sails – and therefore the ship with them – move in the direction of the wind. A large, thin keel underneath the ship stabilises this movement, essentially so our ship doesn’t bounce around from side to side as it moves through the water.

How were medieval ships armed?

Oared vessel tactics were the dominant form of naval tactics used from antiquity to the late 16th century when sailing ships began to replace galleys and other types of oared ships as the principal form of warships. Throughout antiquity, through the Middle Ages until the 16th century, the weapons relied on were the ship itself, used as a battering ram or to sink the opponent with naval rams, the melee weapons of the crew, missile weapons such as bolts from heavy crossbows fixed on the bulwarks, bows and arrows, weights dropped from a yard or pole rigged out, and the various means of setting fire to enemy ships. The latter could be done by shooting arrows with burning tow or by Greek fire ejected through specially designed siphons.

All oared vessel actions were fought at close quarters, where ramming and boarding were possible. But the use of the ram was only available for a vessel driven by oars. While fleets depended on the methods of battle at close quarters, two conditions were imposed on the warship: light structure, so that her crew could row her with effect, and a large crew to work her oars and fight in hand-to-hand combat. Sails were available by virtually all types of galleys in long-range strategic maneuvers, and to relieve the rowers. Sails were lowered in action, however, and when the combatant had a secure port at hand, the rigging could be left ashore before battle.

From the earliest times of naval warfare boarding was the only means of deciding a naval engagement, but little to nothing is known about the tactics involved. In the first recorded naval battle in history, the battle of the Delta, the forces of Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses III won a decisive victory over a force made up of the enigmatic group known as the Sea Peoples. As shown in commemorative reliefs of the battle, Egyptian archers on ships and the nearby shores of the Nile rain down arrows on the enemy ships. At the same time Egyptian galleys engage in boarding action and capsize the ships of the Sea Peoples with ropes attached to grappling hooks thrown into the rigging.

How fast could medieval ships sail?

Around 3 to 6 knots What is the speed of a medieval sailing ship? Around 3 to 6 knots on an average. Some medieval ships, like a Viking Long ship, might do 8 knots or better in good winds, but poor winds might reduce speed to 1 or 2 knots.