Steamboats
The realization of steam propulsion in the form of railroads opened up a whole new branch of technological development. The obvious next step in steam propulsion was to merge steam engines and sailing boats, so that seagoing vessels would no longer be slaves to the wind and weather.
Most vessels, especially early on, still relied on the tried and true method of harnessing the wind for propulsion, but had steam engines onboard to avoid being becalmed. Early steam boats were small coastal vessels that were fixed with port and starboard paddle wheels to propel the vessel through the water. Later developments led to reduced sails on vessels, and inline propellers for main propulsion, although most ships still rely on larger paddle wheels for additional power.
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