Several factors allowed sailors in the 15th century to venture to farther and more remote points.

First among these factors was advances in cartography. The translation of an ancient text by Ptolemy, Guide to Geography, informed European mapmakers about more accurate ways of drawing maps and navigational charts.

The second factor that allowed 15th-century sailors to venture greater distances from coastlines was an improvement in shipbuilding technique and design. The caravel, developed by Portuguese shipbuilders, featured improved maneuverability and speed over other ships of the era and portended later advancements in maritime architecture.

Finally, improvements to the compass that occurred during the 15th century allowed sailors greater accuracy in finding their bearings and determining their direction of travel. This, in turn, made oceanic voyages safer and more reliable.

Several innovations in the 1400's helped to make changes to European sailing ships, enabling them to mount longer expeditions, carry more cargo, and sail against the wind.

The quadrant and later astrolabe, combined with a greater understanding of astronomy, enabled captains to stargaze and better place their ships in positions on the high seas, in which a lack of visible land had made positioning difficult. The Chinese compass invention also serves such a point in determining location.

Movement by rowing through oarsmen had been common since Roman days, such men also took up a lot of space, so adding more masts (from 1 to 2 to 3 as the caraval emerged) allowed more wind to be caught for coastal sailing as well as freeing more room for cargo, as the later carrack demonstrated.