[Does so]

I should mention that Columbus’ generational ships were tall ships, and could see other tall ships approaching—topgallant and sky sails first.

[philman_36]

I should mention that Columbus’ generational ships were tall ships, and could see other tall ships approaching—topgallant and sky sails first.

Do you see the nose of a train engine before you see the wheels as the train comes down the track towards you?

[philman_36]

I should mention that Columbus’ generational ships were tall ships, and could see other tall ships approaching—topgallant and sky sails first.

But you're just plain wrong in your assertion.

The Ships of Christopher Columbus Were Sleek, Fast—and Cramped

Two of the ships, the Niña and Pinta, were tiny by today’s standards—only 50 to 70 feet from bow to stern—but prized for their speed and maneuverability. The Santa Maria, Columbus’s flagship, was a larger, heavier cargo ship. Snip... Small caravels like the Niña and Pinta could only carry between 40 and 50 tons and were crewed by fewer than 30 sailors each. As for the sails... For Columbus’s maiden journey, he used a Spanish update to the caravel known as the caravela redonda, a three-masted ship where the first two masts were rigged with conventional square sails for open-ocean speed, and a third was rigged with a lateen sail for coastal maneuverability.
Just to give you some scale for comparison.

It's amazing how the things we think we know to be true often aren't.

[philman_36]

Tour the Nina, Pinta, and (not the) Santa Maria!

Note the size of the visitors on this...ahem...tall ship.