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I skimmed through the blog post and also the Wikipedia entries about paddle steamers and paddlewheels, but I couldn't seem to find an answer to this question: w

I skimmed through the blog post and also the Wikipedia entries about paddle steamers and paddlewheels, but I couldn't seem to find an answer to this question: why were people still building such ships well after the screw was invented? Ships with screw propulsion were already very commonplace by the time the Waverley was built (1946), so why was it built this way? Was there some advantage to paddle wheels?

labster 2y ago
I don’t know the answer, but I doubt it was an engineering decision. If she was always a touring boat, paddle wheels are more interesting to experience for the tourist, and might be an edge against your competition. Tourists aren’t taking a boat to get anywhere fast, after all. It does make me wonder if there are other advantages, like what kind of engine disturbs the environment the least.
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  I was thinking maybe paddlewheel boats can traverse shallower water, but if that were the case, wouldn't they still be in use?
  - jabl 2y ago
    I believe most use cases where really shallow draft is required has been taken over by waterjets. Less efficient than propellers, particularly at slow speed, but more efficient than paddle wheels, AFAIU. Then there's other things like channels having been dredged over the years, roads have been massively improved, ships have echo sounders etc., so maybe there's less need nowadays for traversing really shallow waters with big boats.
- rob74 2y ago
  See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Queen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Queen (built 1995 - but besides the steam engine-driven paddlewheel also has a diesel-electric propellers "in case of an emergency and for maneuverability around tight areas")
- jabl 2y ago
  Over here there's a paddle wheel tourist ship (no steam though, just plain diesel). But the cheeky thing is that it's actually powered by propellers, the paddle wheel is just turned around by a small electric (hydraulic?) motor for show.
amenhotep 2y ago
Shallow draught. Paddle steamers were very useful at Dunkirk, big boats that could get very close to the beach and embark the evacuees directly. Clearly not enough of an advantage to keep using them, but Waverley was built for a route already being serviced by a fleet of three other paddle steamers, and presumably a screw ship would've required some operational changes, so it's easy to imagine the company deciding to stick with what they knew rather than get with the times.

labster 2y ago

I don’t know the answer, but I doubt it was an engineering decision. If she was always a touring boat, paddle wheels are more interesting to experience for the tourist, and might be an edge against your competition. Tourists aren’t taking a boat to get anywhere fast, after all. It does make me wonder if there are other advantages, like what kind of engine disturbs the environment the least.

shiroiushi 2y ago
I was thinking maybe paddlewheel boats can traverse shallower water, but if that were the case, wouldn't they still be in use?
- jabl 2y ago
  I believe most use cases where really shallow draft is required has been taken over by waterjets. Less efficient than propellers, particularly at slow speed, but more efficient than paddle wheels, AFAIU. Then there's other things like channels having been dredged over the years, roads have been massively improved, ships have echo sounders etc., so maybe there's less need nowadays for traversing really shallow waters with big boats.
rob74 2y ago
See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Queen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Queen (built 1995 - but besides the steam engine-driven paddlewheel also has a diesel-electric propellers "in case of an emergency and for maneuverability around tight areas")
jabl 2y ago
Over here there's a paddle wheel tourist ship (no steam though, just plain diesel). But the cheeky thing is that it's actually powered by propellers, the paddle wheel is just turned around by a small electric (hydraulic?) motor for show.

amenhotep 2y ago

Shallow draught. Paddle steamers were very useful at Dunkirk, big boats that could get very close to the beach and embark the evacuees directly. Clearly not enough of an advantage to keep using them, but Waverley was built for a route already being serviced by a fleet of three other paddle steamers, and presumably a screw ship would've required some operational changes, so it's easy to imagine the company deciding to stick with what they knew rather than get with the times.