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THE EUROPEANS
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
The following are tools or instruments that
were used by early European explorers:
1. MAP
A pictorial or graphical representation of
the earth or part of the earth that gives
details.
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
The following are tools or instruments that
were used by early European explorers:
2. COMPASS
An instrument whose magnetized metal
needle aligns itself with the magnetic
fields of the earth. This causes one end of
the needle to point north. Mariners used
this information to navigate the ship.
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
The following are tools or instruments that
were used by early European explorers:
3. CROSS STAFF
An early sixteenth-century instrument for
measuring the altitude of a heavenly body.
It consists of a square shaft and a sliding
cross-piece set at right angles to the shaft.
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
The following are tools or instruments that
were used by early European explorers:
3. CROSS STAFF
The shaft end is held at the observer's eye
and the cross-piece positioned to line up
with the sun and the horizon. The crosspiece marks a point on the shaft that is
referred to in a table of degrees and
minutes.
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
The following are tools or instruments that
were used by early European explorers:
4. QUADRANT
An early instrument for measuring altitude
of celestial bodies, consisting of a 90°
graduated arc with a movable radius for
measuring angles.
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
The following are tools or instruments that
were used by early European explorers:
5. ASTROLABE
This tool was once used to determine the
altitude of the sun or other celestial
bodies.
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
The following are tools or instruments that
were used by early European explorers:
6. SEXTANT
A navigational instrument which replaced
the astrolabe and was used for measuring
the angle between the horizon and the sun
or a star in order to find out the latitude
(of a ship).
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS
Grade: 9
Theme: The Europeans
Topic: Factors motivating
Europeans to explore and
settle in the Caribbean
up to the 17 th century
Sub Topic: Wind Systems
and Ocean Currents
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
Apart from the use of navigational tools
and weapons, wind systems and ocean
currents influenced the life of early
explorers.
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
Major wind systems in the
Caribbean that assisted with early
European exploration include:
1. Trade Winds: - For about 300 days
of the year the Trade Winds blow into
the Caribbean. Their strength is
consistent and never more than 14
knots.
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
Major wind systems in the Caribbean
that assisted with early European
exploration include: (Cont’d)
These Trade Winds include:
a) North East Trade Winds that blows
from the direction of Europe into the
Caribbean.
b) South East Trade Winds that blows
from the direction of Africa into the
Caribbean.
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
Major wind systems in the
Caribbean that assisted with early
European exploration include:
(Cont’d)
2. Westerlies: - North of the
Caribbean; and they blow from West to
East across the Atlantic.
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
How did these wind systems assisted
explorers to sail to the Caribbean?
TRADE WINDS: Sailors knew them
as ‘fair weather winds’. The winds
gave the ships the direction and
force they needed to arrive safely in
the Caribbean from Europe.
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
How did these wind systems assisted
explorers to sail to the Caribbean?
(Cont’d)
WESTERLIES: They were the
right winds to carry ships back to
Europe from the New World.
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
Major ocean currents in the Caribbean
that assisted with early European
exploration include:
1. South and North Equatorial Currents:
These flow in from the Atlantic. They then
merge at the Lesser Antilles to form the
Caribbean Current. They move between 5
knots and 8 knots and circle the Caribbean in
a clockwise direction.
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
Major ocean currents in the Caribbean
that assisted with early European
exploration include: (Cont’d)
2. Gulf Stream: Flows out of the Caribbean
between Florida and Cuba; warm current
moving at between 5 and 8 knots.
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
How did these ocean currents
assisted explorers to sail to the
Caribbean?
NORTH AND SOUTH
EQUATORIAL CURRENTS:
These currents made east to
west navigation of ships
relatively easy.
WIND SYSTEMS AND
OCEAN CURRENTS
How did these ocean currents
assisted explorers to sail to the
Caribbean? (Cont’d)
GULF STREAM
CURRENTS: these
assisted ships sailing
back to Northern
Europe from the
Caribbean.
SHIPS FOR EARLY
EXPLORATION
Ships used for Early Exploration:
Two types of ships were developed:
 small ships for exploration: caravels
 a shallow draft to chart unknown waters
 ability to sail to windward (lateen sails)
 small crew
 cargo space for voyages of up to a year
 larger ships for war and commerce: carracks
 high platforms at front and back from which to fire at
opponents
 armed with cannons
 square sails for more sail area
 large payload
SHIPS FOR EARLY
EXPLORATION
SHIPS FOR EARLY
EXPLORATION
SHIPS FOR EARLY
EXPLORATION
Ships used for Early Exploration:
Galleons also started using portholes to allow
guns to be mounted lower in the hull and not just
on deck.
 This made it possible to have more powerful
guns which would not capsize the ship when
fired.
The Galleon was a sound multi-purpose design.
War ships would have cannons on all decks
whereas a merchant might have one gun deck
and use the others for cargo.
SHIPS FOR EARLY
EXPLORATION