Henry’s crew didn’t just stare at astrolabes; they engineered a game-changer: the caravel. This small, lateen-rigged ship could sail into the wind—something older vessels couldn’t do. It was the Toyota Camry of exploration: reliable, agile, and perfect for long hauls.
He also funded voyages down the coast of Africa, pushing past Cape Bojador in 1434—a psychological barrier that terrified sailors for centuries. They feared boiling seas and sea monsters. Turns out, the biggest monster was fear itself.
By the time of his death in 1460, Henry’s ships had mapped the African coast down to modern-day Sierra Leone. That’s over 2,000 miles of coastline charted. He didn’t find India, but he built the highway.
