How long did it take to travel from Venice to Cyprus by wooden sailing ship?

Answer 1

Answer 1

It would take approx 9.79 days if one was traveling in a galley at 11.5 knots Cyprus is approximately 1227 nautical miles from Venice , 11.5 knots is about 6 miles an hour one nautical mile = 1.15 mile we take 1227 x 1.15 = 1411 / 6, 235 hours 235 / 24 = 9.79 days of constant sailing assuming good weather.

Answer 2

I respectfully disagree with the foregoing. Not with the math but with the concept of being able to get a medieval or Renaissance galley to move that fast.

There are 3 good modern examples based on professionally-constructed replica vessels.

The replica Trireme Olympias [, launched 1985, now a museum ship of the Greek Navy, in permanent drydock] , and the two biggest viking longship replicas,-the Sea Stallion and the Drakkar Harald Fairhair.

Greek Navy official records during the Sea Trials of "Olympias" record a maximum speed under oars of just over 9 knots - and the trained Greek Navy crew could only maintain that for about 15 minutes at a time.

The two viking longship replicas have only been able to manage about 6 knots maximum under oars for similarly short periods. Under sail, however both longships have proven significantly faster than the trireme, having reached 18knots running downwind under favourable conditions.

Thus I suggest that a more-reasonable voyage speed between Venice and Cyprus would be an average of 6 knots at the best.