How did they navigate?
In order to find their route across the ocean, navigators used instruments to help them determine the ship's path, speed and position.
Log
The ship's speed was measured in knots. A knotted rope (with knots about 15 m / 50' apart) was trailed from the stern and allowed to extend freely; they counted the knots that went past in the time measured by the hourglass.
Hourglass
A sand timer used to regulate life on-board and calculate speed.
Nautical quadrant
Which made it possible to measure the height of the sun or the North Star.
The astrolabe
Made it possible to determine the height of the sun or stars, in order to discover the ship's latitude.
Museo Naval, Madrid.
Astrolabio universal hispano, 1563.
Cross-staffs
In the 16th century, navigators began using cross-staffs to measure the height of the North Star
Museo Naval, Madrid. 18th-Century cross-staff.
