Certain ships were favoured for exploration.
Carracks
These were large, deep-bellied ships, with great cargo capacity. They were usually used as storeships/ flagships accompanying an exploratory flotilla, or as merchantmen once an overseas trade route had been established. Although they were relatively good sailors, their deep draught, ponderous maneuverability and slow speed did not make them popular for the actual act of exploration itself.
They were three-masted. The foremast carried a square foresail, the main bore a mainsail and topsail, and the mizzen was lateen rigged. Their deck plan, consisting of a raised foredeck, deep waist, and tiered quarterdeck and poop, made them somewhat top-heavy in rough weather, and increased wind resistance.
Carracks were developed in the Iberian peninsula and were called 'naos'. In England, they were known as 'greatships'.
Caravels
The caravel, also a product of Iberian shipyards, was the first choice for explorers in the early period. The caravel was relatively small and light, with shallow draught. Her three masts were all lateen rigged. Lateen sails were adopted from the Arab world and allowed a vessel to sail much closer into the wind. Caravels were very swift, generally acknowledged as the fastest ships of their day.
The drawback to using the caravel was the large number of men required to man the long lateen sails, and the back-breaking labour required when performing certain tasks, such as tacking - the lateen yards had to be swung over the masts to the opposite side to utilise the full drawing power of the sail. Also, the caravel possessed relatively little deck space and, apart from a tiny cabin in the stern (occupied by the captain), and the hold (where supplies were stored), shelter was minimal.
Galleons
Galleons were the evolutionary offspring of both carracks and caravels. Galleons had a lower forecastle and longer, more streamlined hull. A long beak jutted from the bows, and a decorated balcony or gallery ran around the stern. They also carried more sail than previous ships.
Galleons first emerged in the mid-to-late 1500's. The English refined the galleon design at about the time of the Spanish Armada, and the result was a fast, maneuverable, seaworthy ship. Some galleons were epic in size, and they gradually replaced both carracks and caravels as the ship par excellence for exploration, commerce, and warfare. From the galleon, all later large merchant and naval ships developed. Some of these used in the latter period of the Age of Discovery include:
Fluyt
The Dutch-built fluyt (English - flute) had a rounded stern, 2 - 3 tall masts and a hull which bulged at the waterline before tapering to narrow upper decks. The fluyt made extensive use of block and tackle to cut down manpower requirements.
East Indiamen
These were large ships carrying cargoes for the Honourable East India Company. They were large enough to be used as warships - all East Indiamen were armed, and some had additional fake gunports painted on their sides. Indiamen were large and well-armed because they sailed through pirate-infested seas and carried large amounts of incredibly valuable cargo - one ship could make fortunes for many investors.
Sources:
The Sailing Ship, Jan de Hartog, Odyssey Press Inc, 1964
To the Ends of The Earth: Journeys of The Great Explorers Jon Balchin, Arcturus Publishing Ltd, 2006
