Which explorer is credited with making significant improvements in shipbuilding during the Age of Exploration?

Prince Henry the Navigator is credited with making significant improvements in shipbuilding during the Age of Exploration. He played a crucial role in the advancement of maritime exploration in the 15th century by promoting the development of new ship designs and navigational techniques. Under his guidance, Portuguese shipbuilders refined the caravel, a versatile and sturdy vessel that could sail against the wind, allowing for longer oceanic voyages.

Henry established a school for navigation and gathered many of the best navigators and cartographers of the time, which led to increased knowledge about maritime routes and the geography of the world at that time. His efforts laid the groundwork for subsequent explorations by other Portuguese navigators, which ultimately expanded European understanding of the world's oceans and continents.

The other explorers mentioned did contribute to exploration but did not have the same level of impact on shipbuilding or naval technologies as Prince Henry.