▁long ▁ocean ic ▁vent ures . ▁Grad ually , ▁they ▁developed ▁their ▁own ▁models ▁of ▁ocean ic ▁car ra cks ▁from ▁a ▁fusion ▁and ▁modification ▁of ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁ship ▁types ▁they ▁knew ▁operating ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁and ▁Mediter rane an , ▁general izing ▁their ▁use ▁in ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁century ▁for ▁inter - o cean ic ▁travel ▁with ▁a ▁more ▁advanced ▁form ▁of ▁sail ▁rig ging ▁that ▁allowed ▁much ▁improved ▁sail ing ▁characteristics ▁in ▁the ▁heavy ▁wind s ▁and ▁waves ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean ▁and ▁a ▁h ull ▁shape ▁and ▁size ▁that ▁permitted ▁larger ▁cargo es . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁average ▁t onn age ▁na us , ▁some ▁large ▁na us ▁( car ra cks ) ▁were ▁also ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁John ▁II ▁of ▁Portugal , ▁but ▁were ▁only ▁w ides p read ▁after ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁century . ▁The ▁Portuguese ▁car ra cks ▁were ▁usually ▁very ▁large ▁ships ▁for ▁their ▁time , ▁often ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁tons , ▁and ▁having ▁the ▁future ▁large ▁na us ▁of ▁the ▁India ▁run ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁China ▁and ▁Japan ▁trade , ▁also ▁other ▁new ▁types ▁of ▁design . ▁ ▁A ▁typical ▁three - m asted ▁car rack ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁São ▁Gabriel ▁had ▁six ▁s ails : ▁b ows prit , ▁for es ail , ▁main s ail , ▁m izz ens ail ▁and ▁two ▁to ps ails . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁the ▁first ▁g alle ons ▁were