How did people travel these seas 500 years ago
  • 170 points nameuser_1id

    They died when this type of stuff happened

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    72 points MountainMagic6198

    Yeah ships could only travel at certain times of year and if they broke that rule they all died.

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    6 points IggyBG

    Can you elavlborate please? Like if I want to cross Atlantic from Europe to USA, which time of year?

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    24 points Ade1980

    You’d want to head south first and then cross over from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean- November to December is the best time for the trade winds apparently

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    11 points backpackrack

    take a look

    TL;DW Typically from Europe you go south to the canary Islands in September and cross in the end of November/December. You'll then turn west land in the Carribbean after 2-3 weeks.

    The return trip window is significantly smaller (July/August) and much harder but basically it's to head up the US coast to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland or the harder and more dangerous trip is Bermuda and then to the Azores.

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    5 points TheObstruction

    To be clear, you could go anytime, but the trip may take dramatically longer because different, safer routes were taken. Plus the risk was higher at certain times in certain places.

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  • 25 points InDeathWeReturn

    They were limited to specific times of year usually, they sailed more WITH the storm than against them, they had smaller boats so they could "ride the waves" more, and of course..... they died. Like a LOT

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  • 41 points MustangBarry

    They didn't have vertical video stretching back then

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  • 19 points chadlumanthehuman

    Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya.

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    6 points hungryangry

    A main hatchway gave in, he said fellas it’s been good to know ya

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    3 points fivefivesixfmj

    7pm is a hell of time.

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  • 15 points Boing_Boing

    Boats. But wooden.

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    1 points OneTop161

    I think the Irish sailed in leather boats sealed with grease. I suspect they were often unsuccessful.

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  • 10 points streakermaximus

    Prayers to Poseidon

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  • 10 points LCARSgfx

    Perilously

    I mean, the seas can still be perilous today when weather really cranks up, but most sea going vessels these days are far, far more capable. Ships going down purely from weather action is rare these days.

    500 years ago you were on a relatively small, wooden boat, using wind power. You were at the mercy of the waves. Many boats never made it to their destination. It was a normal hazard of the job.

    No radio back then, so no ability to call for help. And even if you could, those around you, if any, would be literally in the same boat as you: struggling in the weather.

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  • 10 points YodaHead

    Full of regret.

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    1 points Man_in_the_uk

    Yeah I think even today surely some people on board in those conditions will be wondering what they've chosen the job for. Looks pretty hairy.. I wonder what it's actually like for the people inside and the consequences of the waves. How do you go about cooking and setting the table in those conditions?

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  • 5 points MeatAndPotatoesVegan

    With balls big enough to float on water!

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  • 4 points zhy97

    Easy, they become part of Ariel’s collections

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  • 5 points ilovelukewells

    They died

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  • 3 points Darkest_Elemental

    To be fair, there are a high number of ship wrecks at the bottom of the seas.

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  • 3 points basicnecromancycr

    We know only about who could. The others are just numbers.

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  • 3 points GeraintLlanfrechfa

    In fear and agony I guess

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  • 3 points skeletons_asshole

    With much ass-clenching and screaming, I presume

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    2 points rosiet1001

    Why did this make me laugh so much 🤣😆 thank you, skeletons asshole

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  • 4 points elibutton

    They didn’t get far. Back then they probably thought Moses and God were out there and had something to do with it. So they prayed and perished.

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  • 2 points QueballD

    Smaller boats rode the waves and they went with the storm not against it

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  • 2 points Squidboi2679

    They would see the ocean do this and go “sweet neptune” then drown

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  • 2 points Puzzleheaded_Pear_18

    Vikings did it 1200years ago.

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  • 2 points Pale_Leek2994

    In little wooden coffins.

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  • 2 points SiteSignificant9095

    Traveling??? What are you talking about??? This is a Rollercoaster ride. Hope they got handles around the toilet.....

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  • 2 points Frigidspinner

    A big dollop of derring-do

    I heard that one year 17 viking ships attempted to travel to iceland and 16 of them never made it (were never heard of again)

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  • 1 points Turbulent-Grade-3559

    They got shipwrecked and many died

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  • 1 points ilovelukewells

    Smashed like a bowl of eggs...God damn them all...

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  • 1 points HeadDownDad

    Balls

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  • 1 points billyraylipscomb

    Not well

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  • 1 points Kfczingerbox1

    In a boat probably, I don't think they could swim that.

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  • 1 points 0006isho

    Drunkenly

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  • 1 points BoxGroundbreaking687

    with great difficulty

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  • 1 points Post-Financial

    With a boat

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  • 1 points Snoo65207

    They didn't, that's why 1000s lay at the bottom of the seas. Bad weather = death

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  • 1 points Born-Process-9848

    That's why we have shipwrecks bro.

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  • 1 points Bestlife1234321

    They drowned

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  • 1 points Freeman10

    I would shit myself....twice.

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  • 1 points AggressiveEstate3757

    With a lot more fatalities.

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  • 1 points Alternative_Shop8999

    History is written by those who survived. 

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  • 1 points Kindly_Region

    Trial and error, A LOT of them never made it

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  • 1 points AtuinTurtle

    A lot of them didn't make it.

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  • -1 points Designer-Mirror-7995

    PEOPLE!

    All y'all in here going on about "they died a lot more" and the rest of that yada yada, are COMPLETELY OVERLOOKING the fact that FIVE HUNDRED years ago was the VERY HEIGHT of the Trans-Alantic Slave Trade AND the era of shipping trade REALLY gaining a foothold on world economy.

    So while yeah, it was MUCH more treacherous, OBVIOUSLY a WHOLE LOT of boats were SUCCESSFULLY navigating the seas, getting their "product" to their destination.

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  • 0 points Weary-Wasabi1721

    By boat

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  • -1 points m__s

    They didn't know it's hard and they were fearless!

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  • -1 points spook30

    Have you Google shipwrecks before?

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