Traveling on Water

Some people wanted a boat that traveled more quickly. They tried adding sails to their boats. The wind blew the sails and helped the boats move faster. Now folks could travel long distances on rivers and lakes. They could trade food and other things with people far away.

About five hundred years ago, explorers began to dream of crossing oceans to find other lands. People began building large wooden ships with three or four sails. Many explorers traveled across the ocean. The trips took months. Over time, ocean travel became faster. Steamships, powered by steam engines, traveled across the ocean. Their trips took weeks, not months. Today, huge supertankers carry oil across oceans. Cargo ships carry food, furniture, and machines across oceans for people to buy and use. Water travel is still helping people get food and goods.