Overview

The lateen sail, developed during the first millennium, was introduced to medieval Europe where it revolutionized marine travel. Combined with the less-versatile square sail, the lateen sail was crucial to the development of navigable ships powered only by the wind. Their use in "foreand-aft" rigged ships helped to launch an era of seagoing commerce, exploration, and warfare that continued through the end of the Age of Sail.

Background

The first boats were crude, powered by a combination of water currents and human muscle power. They could travel downstream with ease, could traverse calm bodies of water with slightly more difficulty, and could travel against the current with great difficulty, if at all. Simple rafts could carry relatively large amounts of cargo, but only at the expense of maneuverability, while canoes (and canoe-like vessels) were maneuverable, but not very commodious...