framed|A Caravel rigged with lateen sails

A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable, two- or three-masted ship suitable for lateen-rigging or square rigging. They were created by the Brecht for long voyages of trade and exploration. Its origins date back to the qarib used by Khinasi sailors for the past two centuries. The caravel represents the state of the art in Brecht shipbuilding, and require a renaissance level of technology to even construct.
Initially carracks have been used for long distance trade and exploration by the Brecht venturing out into the Miere Rhuann and Dragon Sea. But the larger, full-rigged square-sailed ships could not always be sailed with the precision necessary for inshore navigation in unknown waters. The captains soon came to prefer the barque or the balinger, or the light two or three-masted lateen-rigged vessels known as caravels.
The caravel is better suited to trading than its predecessor, the cog, but it remains a middle sized ship compared to the carrack or the larger galleon.
framed|A Caravel rigged with square sails

Early Caravel: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +3; Shiphandling +0; Speed wind x 30 ft (average); Overall AC -3; Hull Sections 20 (sink 5 sections); section 80 hp (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 3; Rigging hp 80 (hardness 0); AC 1; Ram 4d6; Mounts 2 light and 1 heavy; Space 50 ft x 20 ft; Height 10 ft (draft 10 ft); Compliment 25; Watch 6; cargo 80 tons (Speed wind x 15 ft 40 tons or more) cost 10,000 gp.
Caravel: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +4; Shiphandling +0; Speed wind x 30 ft (average); Overall AC -3; Hull Sections 24 (sink 6 sections); section 80 hp (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 3; Rigging hp 80 (hardness 0); AC 1; Ram 4d6; Mounts 2 light and 1 heavy; Space 60 ft x 20 ft; Height 10 ft (draft 10 ft); Compliment 30; Watch 7; cargo 120 tons (Speed wind x 15 ft 60 tons or more) cost 10,000 gp.
The ratings for the caravels assume square rigging, which is the more common arrangement. If lateen rigging is used, change Shiphandling to +2 and reduce Speed to 20 ft. It is possible to put a lateen sail on the foremast and a square sail on the mainmast, but all that changes from the basic stats is a reduction in speed to 25 ft.

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