[gleeaikin]

There are various suggestions that Columbus had information about lands across the sea which gave him the courage to try to go there. I believe the Portuguese fishermen were harvesting the Grand Banks before 1492.

[Domangart]

We tend to think people were stupid. They were just as smart as some today. Fish and sea life below 40 feet are are in short supply. Fisherman could follow the west coast and back. Some were stuck here. Doing a modern map was outside the agreed knowledge.