Paddlewheelers on the Savannah River

What a paddlewheeler is

A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine driving paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. The paddle wheel is a large steel framework wheel with regularly spaced blades fitted to its outer edge, and the bottom quarter or so of it travels under water. In the early nineteenth century paddle wheels were the predominant way of propelling steam-powered boats. By the late nineteenth century paddle propulsion was largely superseded by the screw propeller, which is more efficient, especially in rough or open water.

Sidewheel or sternwheel

There are three types: sidewheel, with a paddle wheel amidships on each side; sternwheel, with a single wheel at the back; and, rarely, inboard. The earliest steam vessels were sidewheelers. Sternwheelers saw the most service in North America, especially on the Mississippi River. Sidewheelers may be more manoeuvrable, since some can move the paddles at different speeds, and that made them popular on narrower, winding rivers.

From the Mississippi to Savannah

The first United States Mississippi River paddle steamer began operating out of New Orleans in the early nineteenth century, and the term steamboat stuck for vessels on the Mississippi system. The Savannah River had its own steamboat era. In the nineteenth century the sandy river channel changed frequently, causing numerous steamboat accidents, and Savannah, a prosperous seaport throughout that century, depended on the river for its cotton trade.

The SS Savannah

The first paddle steamer to make a long ocean voyage across the Atlantic was the SS Savannah, built in 1819. She set out from the port of Savannah, Georgia, for Liverpool in 1819,. This was the first powered crossing of the Atlantic, although she was built as a sailing ship with a steam auxiliary and carried a full rig of sail for when winds were favourable, being unable to complete the voyage under power alone.

Paddlewheelers today

Paddle wheels continue to be used by some ships that operate as excursion boats and floating restaurants, and these include replica vessels that are often diesel powered. In Savannah, the PS Georgia Queen and the PS Savannah River Queen are berthed beside River Street, along with the Belles Ferry. The operator's site describes the Georgia Queen as a paddlewheel riverboat with multiple decks and elegant dining spaces, which is the format of an evening dinner cruise.

The Georgia Queen and the Savannah River Queen

The operator's site names two riverboats, the Savannah River Queen and the Georgia Queen. It calls the Georgia Queen a paddlewheel riverboat with multiple decks and elegant dining spaces, and says the Savannah River Queen is a paddlewheel riverboat too. Wikipedia lists both as paddle steamers berthed on River Street. The ticket for the buffet dinner cruise says riverboat without naming one, so the vessel on your night is confirmed by the operator.

Choosing a paddlewheel evening

Treat the paddlewheel as part of the setting, not a promise about the boat that carries you. The ticket says riverboat and does not name a vessel, and the operator's two boats differ in access, because one has an elevator and the other has no elevator to its upper levels. Check the access notes if that matters, and read the booking guide for which of the three evenings suits you.

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