Ships are one of the earliest kinds of transport. But they were mainly meant to be used in rivers or along the coasts.
The most adventurous seafarers before Tudor times had been the Vikings in their longships, but these were tiny and rode very low in the water. They could be – and were – easily swamped in storms.
The Vikings got to America by taking chances, and they could never have carried goods, but carrying goods was just what the Tudors wanted to do.
