▁grounds ▁of ▁its ▁very ▁different ▁construction . ▁ ▁Later ▁development ▁▁ ▁Until ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁the ▁late en ▁sail ▁was ▁employed ▁primarily ▁on ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea , ▁while ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁and ▁Balt ic ▁( and ▁Indian ▁Ocean ) ▁vessels ▁re lied ▁on ▁square ▁s ails . ▁The ▁Northern ▁European ▁ad option ▁of ▁the ▁late en ▁in ▁the ▁Late ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁was ▁a ▁special ized ▁sail ▁that ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁techn ological ▁develop ments ▁in ▁ship building ▁that ▁made ▁ships ▁more ▁man eu ver able , ▁thus , ▁in ▁the ▁historian ' s ▁traditional ▁pro gression , ▁perm itting ▁mer ch ants ▁to ▁sail ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean ; ▁car av els ▁typically ▁mounted ▁three ▁or ▁more ▁late ens . ▁However , ▁the ▁great ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁late en ▁yard arm ▁makes ▁it ▁difficult ▁and ▁dangerous ▁to ▁handle ▁on ▁larger ▁ships ▁in ▁storm y ▁weather , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁car rack , ▁the ▁late en ▁was ▁restricted ▁to ▁the ▁m iz zen ▁m ast . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁nin ete enth ▁century , ▁the ▁late en ▁was ▁replaced ▁in ▁European ▁ships ▁by ▁the ▁driver ▁or ▁sp ank er . ▁ ▁The ▁late en ▁surv ived ▁as ▁a ▁rig ging ▁choice ▁for ▁main s ails ▁of ▁small ▁craft ▁where ▁local ▁conditions ▁were ▁favor able . ▁For ▁instance , ▁bar ge - like ▁vessels ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁mar it imes ▁north ▁of ▁Boston , ▁called ▁g und al