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Caravel, a light, highly maneuverable sailing ship of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries in Europe, much used by the Spanish and Portuguese for long voyages. The caravel was unique in particular for its shallow hull and for its different sail configurations, specifically featuring either triangular lateen sails (for tacking against the wind) or a combination of lateen and square sails (for sailing downwind). These features made it especially well suited to coastal fishing as well...