Question

In order to sail from West Africa back to Portugal, the Portuguese had to use a different shape for their ____. This shape would help them go against the prevailing winds that were trying to push them back towards Africa.

Answer 1

To sail from West Africa to Portugal, Portuguese explorers used the caravel ship, which featured a lateen, or triangular sail, allowing them to effectively sail against the prevailing winds.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to sail from West Africa back to Portugal, the Portuguese had to use a different shape for their sails. This shape would help them go against the prevailing winds that were trying to push them back towards Africa.

During the 15th century, the Portuguese explorers and traders realized that they needed ships capable of sailing against the wind to return to Europe from West Africa. To achieve this, they developed a new style of ship, the caravel, which was crafted with larger hulls to increase the amount of provisions that could be carried. A key innovation on the caravel was the addition of a lateen, or triangular sail, which was added to the front of the ships. This type of sail, along with a rudder moved to the back of the boat, allowed the vessel to sail into the wind through a process known as "tacking."

Answer 2

Astrolabe? I’m guessing that because I know that those helped sailors avoid the wind in a certain direction but I could be wrong.