Meet the Middle Ages
BackKogg, holk, kravell och karack
The cog is the most well-known type of vessel from the Middle Ages. Cogs were sturdy ships which could take a lot of cargo. Therefore, they were important to the trade of the Hanseatic League. The first cogs had one mast with one sail, but later on they had two or even three masts. Distinctive features of these ships were the raised platforms at both prow (the front) and stern (the back).
Towards the end of the Middle Ages, the cog was replaced by a boat type called hulk. The hulk was broader than the cog and could take more cargo. The hulks transported a lot of the goods which was shipped between the towns on the Baltic Sea.
Other types of ships were also built, with different shapes of the hull and different masts and sails. They were called caravel and carrack and were quite large and sturdily built.
As the skills of the ship-builders and carpenters increased the ships became larger and safer. The craftsmen developed new ways of constructing ships which were larger, stronger, more sea-worthy and which could carry more cargo.