sidewheelers

Boats with paddles

Sidewheelers are boats propelled by paddle wheels mounted on the sides rather than at the stern.

These vessels dominated American river commerce in the 19th century, particularly on the Mississippi: The sidewheelers churned upstream carrying cotton and passengers.

The design allowed for shallower drafts than sternwheelers, making them suited to broad rivers with sandbars.

vessel

paddlewheel

Rotating blades propelling vessels

steamboatEngine-powered watercraft
riverboatShallow-draft inland watercraft
hullOuter covering or frame

deck · smokestack · boiler · engine · steam · propulsion · captain · pilot · crew · stoker

river

Mississippi

Southern state or major river

OhioMidwestern state, major river
MissouriMidwestern state, major river
HudsonMajor northeastern river

paddlewheel · riverboat · downstream · upstream · current · channel · shallows · sandbar · levee · landing

historic

steamboat

Engine-powered watercraft

steamshipBoiler-propelled water vessel
paddlewheelRotating blades propelling vessels
MississippiSouthern state or major river

Victorian · 19th-century · antebellum · bygone · heritage · nostalgia · vintage · classic · relic · artifact

navigation

paddlewheel

Rotating blades propelling vessels

pilotOne who steers aircraft
helmVessel's steering mechanism
pilothouseEnclosed ship steering station

channel · sounding · leadline · starboard · portside · upstream · downstream · current · sandbar · snag

Opposites

paddle wheel configuration

sidewheelerssternwheelers

Boats propelled from behind

propulsion method

sidewheelersmotorboats

Engine-driven boats

sailing ships · sailboats · jet boats · rowboats · canoes

Family

sidewheeler

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Timeless · Concrete · Rated G