1. Why?
1.1. Demand for spices
1.1.1. Difficult business
1.1.1.1. Transported overland
1.1.1.2. Italians bought them mostly
1.1.1.3. Sold at great profit in Europe
1.1.1.4. Muslims charged high taxes
1.1.1.5. Religious wars cut off trade
1.1.2. Used for
1.1.2.1. Adding flavour to food
1.1.2.2. Preserving food
1.1.2.3. Cure diseases
1.2. Myths and legends
1.2.1. El Dorado
1.2.2. Pressed John
1.2.3. Fountain of Youth
1.3. The Renaissance
1.3.1. Interest in learning
1.3.1.1. I.e. Mapmaking
1.3.1.2. Used Ptolemy's maps
1.4. Support of rulers
1.4.1. To gain control of spice trade in the East
1.4.2. Gold and jewels
1.4.3. Build an empire
1.4.4. Spread Christianity
1.5. Ship building and Navigation
1.5.1. New and improved
2. Ships and instruments
2.1. Used to be slow, hard to steer and couldn't sail into the wind
2.2. 1400
2.2.1. Lateen sails
2.2.2. Clinker built hulls
2.2.3. Small, fast, easy
2.2.4. Watertight decks
2.2.5. Caravels
2.2.6. Big ships, carracks and naos
2.3. Navigation
2.3.1. Speed
2.3.1.1. Log and line
2.3.1.2. Hour glass
2.3.2. Position
2.3.2.1. Astrolabe
2.3.2.2. Quadrant
2.3.2.3. Cross staff
2.3.3. Direction
2.3.3.1. Compass
3. Life on board a ship
3.1. Disease
3.1.1. Scurvy
3.1.2. Dysentery
3.2. Food
3.2.1. Hard biscuits "hardtack"
3.3. Main dangers
3.3.1. Disease
3.3.2. Drowning
3.3.3. Hostile natives
3.3.4. Thirst and starvation