The main reason for the different paddle arrangements between"you
and us" is the purposes to which they were put. British paddlers were
essentialy seagoing and required greater reliability and economy.
Paddle tugs were used to going miles out to sea "Seeking" for a tow-
usualy large sailing ships stuck in adverse winds and needing to get
treir cargoes into port pronto. The tugs had fairly small bunker
space (coal) had had to be economic in use. Feathering wheels
decreased fuel use by about 40% and increased eficiency by about the
same percentage. They also used Long tows at sea to absorb the yawing
and jerking of their tows due to wind wave and swell. The tow rope
was usualy partly under water for cussioning effect. American tugs
were generaly Indeed almost always very short or contact tows and
werent effected by adverse conditions and could refuel very regularly
and moor up as often as necessary, hence only requiring fixed mooring
posts.Also there was an abundence of wood for fuel, so economy was
not a consideration. Another main factor in engine design and
construction was the abundance of advanced engineering plants in the
UK all competing in the design of boilers and engines and the excess
capacity to build them. America was in its infancy and had to work to
the premise keep it simple then simplify it!.
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