10-22-2013, 02:07 AM
Triremes, which were arguably the most popular warship of the Classical Greek era, had only one sail, as did probably all smaller ships and the larger but still mass-producible quadremes and quinqueremes. This is because the primary propulsion of ships back then was still by oar, and this would remain so until some time before the Renaissance. When sailing had reached its height under men like Lord Nelson, the ship's sailing abilities were so great that they could, no exaggeration, sail directly into the wind, although contrary to what Pirates of the Caribbean might have you believe you cannot simply throw the wheel and turn the car. The many masts seen on first-rate warships like the HMS Victory propelled the ship, yes, but also had a great deal to do with turning the ship, and this has to do with the way air currents push the sails, which in turn push the ship in different directions through a medium which does not offer very much resistance if gone through correctly, although such a large ship requires hundreds of men aloft in the rigging alone.
If I were to guess, having several masts on any polyreme ship would get simply too complicated. Remember, those ships relied on oar power, and contrary to what some might have you believe, those oars required highly skilled crews to operate them truly effectively. Masts simply weren't yet needed - ten knots was what a smaller sailing ship might effectively make, and it was what the reconstruction trireme Olympias made in a full speed run.
If I were to guess, having several masts on any polyreme ship would get simply too complicated. Remember, those ships relied on oar power, and contrary to what some might have you believe, those oars required highly skilled crews to operate them truly effectively. Masts simply weren't yet needed - ten knots was what a smaller sailing ship might effectively make, and it was what the reconstruction trireme Olympias made in a full speed run.
