Abundant debate surrounds the voyages of Christopher Columbus. Much of it is misdirected to the question of who was first to the new world. Therefore, most people misunderstand the primary accomplishments of the Admiral’s voyages. Without comprehension of what he did, the question of, “Who did it first?” is meaningless. I offer the following bit of corrective sea lore to patch this up.

The attached sketch shows the approximate route traveled by Christopher Columbus to reach the Americas and return. It illustrates what he accomplished and the secret to his success. Further, it shows why no previous attempt to establish transoceanic travel had succeeded. A practical sailor can recognize these secrets hidden in plain view on this chart. For those not yet discerning their revelation, allow me to explain.