Gil Eanes

Gil Eanes (first half of 15th century ) was a Portuguese navigator and explorer in the service of Henry the Navigator.

About Gil Eanes are so good before as no personal data. The majority of researchers sees his birthplace in Lagos. Another group takes on the port city of Olhão. On behalf of Henry the Navigator in 1433 he tried to skirt around lying on the southern Moroccan coast of Cape Bojador, but failed and had to turn back.

Cape Bojador was in medieval Europe as the end of the navigable maritime areas south of it because supposedly wiped out in a boiling lake all life by the sun and the skin will become black. This opinion was supported by the inhospitable coast, sandbanks and shoals as well as the constant fog at Cape Bojador.

1434 succeeded Gil Eanes sailing out on only western and then southern course on the Cape. Then at the height of the cape, he turned to the east and cautiously approached the coast. Probably it was a chance to help with these maneuvers. The predominant wind direction in these sea areas requires to cross at southerly course into the wind. That was the former Portuguese ship types hardly. Eanes ' small single-masted ship was square square sail. Did the captains of Henry penetrate further south, this could only happen with a new type of ship. In the following years, the caravel was developed by the Portuguese, therefore, with which it was possible to sail close to the wind higher and easier to cross counterclaims.

Eanes found that the lake is also accessible to the Cape. To demonstrate its discovery, the chronicler Gomes Eanes de Azurara reported in its Crónica da Guiné, he brought Henry the first "Rose of Saint Mary " with ( Real Rose of Jericho ). This impressive feat of great courage seamanship kept the Portuguese secret. Some authors still write to him to make another trip to the Cape Bojador, then the traces of Gil Eanes lose in history.

On the monument in his (possible) birth town of Lagos is written: " He opened the old sea to modern man. "