Paddle Boat History
The untold story
Propulsion by paddle was among the first methods of moving a vessel over water. The origins of the paddle boat go back as far as the 4th and 5th centuries, during which yoked oxen would circle a capstan and power wheels on the sides of boats. The anonymous writer convincingly describes the ships' efficacy in battle both in ramming and maneuvering capacities. How far we've come when our navy is not powered by paddles, and average citizens can leisurely cruise on what was once the height of technology- with none of the inconvenience of large-animal husbandry.
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Along came the steamboat The advantages of recreational paddle boats over steam powered boats are many. Chief among them are that the life expectancy history's frequent paddle-boater was statistically identical to that of one who never engaged in paddle boating. The same can't be said for history's steamboaters. Steamboats were notoriously dangerous, you see, often running aground in constantly morphing river waters or simply waters that had become too shallow. Mark Twain's "Life on the Mississippi" gives a thorough and entertaining account of the dangers and difficulties of navigating in a steamship, in addition to his usual fare of sardonic wit and self-deprecation. In fact, it was from riverboat captain jargon that Samuel Langhorne Clemens (also a talented riverboat pilot) derived his pen name, "Mark Twain." But the steamboat's days were numbered, as were the days of the first paddle boats. Though it took a while, the screw propeller, invented by the late 18th century, eventually overtook paddle propulsion. Soon, paddle boats were made only for purposes of nostalgia or novelty. And that, we assume, is what brought us to the paddle boat as we know it today. |
Some nomenclature concerns
Have you ever been sitting around a dinner table with some close friends, reminiscing on your days growing up on the lake, or those memorable summer camps, when suddenly somebody tells a story about a "pedal boat." Then you have to stop and think "surely he means 'paddle boat.'" The truth is, they are both right. Just like in fine wine circles some say "Bourgogne" and others say "Burgundy," paddle boats and pedal boats mean the same thing. Feel free to call them on it, though.