Gil Eanes
| Region | Occupation | Born | Died |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe, Africa | Mariner | 1400 | 1450 |
Portuguese mariner, in 1434, with the urging of Prince Henry, using a caravel with a lateen sail, sailed down the North African coast beyond the Cape of Bojador (28N), and then, avoided the impossible route directly back north by sailing well to the northwest until he picked up the Westerlies (40N) and could then sail east to return to Lisbon. Portuguese called this navigational technigue the "volta."
Sources
Robert A. McCaughey The Portuguese Seaborne Empire, 1415-1825 (1969)Images
Public Domain Source
Related People
Prince HenryRelated Locations
Cape BojadorCompiler
Peter Richards