Porto Grande of S. Vicente: The Coal Business on an Atlantic Island

Abstract

The situation in the Atlantic that emerged in the first half of the nineteenth century was a result of a profound revolution in maritime transportation technology and communications. Everything was in flux. The need for increased ship tonnage, brought about by the growth in traffic volume, was met by the contributions of technology that emerged as a result of the Industrial Revolution, unleashing a chain reaction of adjustments and adaptations that culminated in the substitution of sailboats with steam vessels, and the use of coal as an energy source. This heavy and voluminous fuel introduced a new travel rationale to oceanic navigation: the need for refuelling stops. This rationale overcame the need to transport large stocks of coal on board, which would entail sacrificing space designed for commercial cargo and the transportation of passengers and thereby lead to a decrease in the profitability of maritime routes (Suárez Bosa and Cabrera Armas, 2010, 5).