Stern-mounted rudder in Europe
Timón de codaste en Europa
- Date
- c. 1180 · confidence medium
- Place
- North Sea and Baltic coast (Hanseatic League), Germany
- Credited to
- Hanseatic shipwrights; Chinese origin (1st century)
- Field
- Movement
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A steering blade hinged to the sternpost with iron pintles and gudgeons, replacing the side steering oar. It allowed larger ships to be steered with less effort and to sail closer to the wind.
The relief on the Zedelgem baptismal font (c. 1180) and the Elbing town seal (1242) are the earliest European evidence; whether it was transmitted from China or invented independently is debated.
What it led to
- the Hanseatic cog and northern bulk trade
- large-tonnage ships capable of crossing oceans
- its combination with the lateen sail and compass in the caravel
Built on
- Stern-post (axial) rudderc. 100 CE
- Chinese stern-mounted rudder (Han)
- Viking steering oar