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The idea of sailing for recreation would have seemed ridiculous to the seafarers who explored the seas that cover two-thirds of the earth's surface, and who helped to develop nations through world trade and conquest.

Empire Exploration. Trade, exploration, and conquest were the driving forces that made the great seafaring nations prosperous and powerful. It helped to develop empires, for example the British Empire, and you may have heard the well known song including the words,

Britain rules the waves. Key to these empire expansions was the domination of the sea and the ability of their naval designers, builders, and sailors to produce and handle the huge variety of sailing ships on which there power depended.

Sailing and Trade. For thousands of years, the world depended exclusively on sail power, both for short and long distances across all types of waterways. Whether on great rivers, or seas or oceans, sail power was the only alternative to muscle power applied to paddles and oars. The Polynesian.In the Pacific Ocean, the Polynesian islanders developed the proa, a unique multihulled craft, using hollowed-out tree trunks for the main canoe, with a stabilizing outrigger to help keep it upright. Although it was mainly paddles driven, it had a lateen-type sail for motive power. These fragile craft made many long ocean passages, with the navigator using only the stars in the sky, the wind, and the sea as his guides to making a distant landfall. The Chinese.The Chinese solution to sail power was the Chinese lugsail, commonly referred to as a junks. A junk rig had a short mast and woven sails, supported by long bamboo battens. These were an efficient solution, simple and easy to handle, easy to repair, thereby requiring a small crew to sail them. Arabians.The square-sail rig became common in most European countries, although it was really only suitable for sailing on downwind courses. Arabian dhows developed their characteristic huge lateen (triangular) sails as a capable sailing solution. A dhow could sail upwind well and was fast compared to square-rigged ships. Its disadvantage being the large crew that was needed to handle it, but that was not a problem in an area where inexpensive and amenable labour was plentiful.

Vikings. In every part of the world, ever culture developed there own solutions to harnessing the wind, and building boats proficient enough to carry people and cargo long distances. These local solutions therefore created unique craft, some of which still survive. For example, Viking longboats travelled thousands of miles under oars and their simple square sails.

Materials. Wood was the natural choice of building material for these ships, which come in all shapes and sizes, but, if wood was lacking, human ingenuity still allowed boats to be built from woven reeds. It was not until the advancement of iron and steel, which allowed builders to produce cheaper and stronger hulls, that wood began to be replaced with iron and steel as the main boat-building material. Designs for warships, merchant ships, and fishing vessels all evolved with the advancement in materials, to suit their function. This resulted in many types of boats; each with special strengths and advantages. The famous Thames Barges, for instance, evolved as the best design solution for carrying cargo in the shallow waters of the Thames Estuary and on the East Coast. These barges were sailed by a crew of two, usually a man and a boy. Hundreds, if not thousands, of boat designs evolved, each with its own specific characteristics to suit local needs.

Clipper Ships. Perhaps the design pinnacle of cargo carrying sailing ships was the magnificent clipper ships of the 19th century, so-called because they clipped short the time required for a given passage. Designed and built for speed, they raced across oceans to be first to market and capture the best prices for their precious cargoes of wool and tea. The Cutty Sark is perhaps the most famous clipper ship of all. The clippers raced across oceans to be the first to bring goods to Western markets, capturing the best prices. But the days of sail where numbered for the both cargo and warships. Steam, then motor outclassed sail for speed and reliability, although they came at a cost. Today, newer materials are also available, such as GRP and carbon fibre, which evolve further the advancement of sailing, and it subsequent maintenance. Sailing today now offers relaxation, competition, or adrenaline-surging excitement. This is depending on how you choose to enjoy it, and the type of boat you chose to sail in.

About the Author. Gordon McCulloch is a professional engineer and teacher. He has worked and sailed in boats all his life. He was brought up near the coast, served with the Merchant Marine, and now occupies himself with all forms of water sports, in which he has developed his skill as a webmaster. Feel free to visit and comment on his website site at http://www.keelbilge.com .

Please feel free to use this article in any way you wish. It appears on my website at www.keelbilge.com , where I have included some photos to give the article a flavour. All I ask is that you include my website URL address. I would also be happy to answer any questions you may have by contacting me at GCCMCCULLOCH@aol.com