In regards to the open paddles of Fulton & Livingston's North River Steam Boat of Clermont, I think I can hazard a fair guess. But there seems to be a problem with its actuall appearance. The popular image is defined by the Lindberg model that shows it with open paddles. I have the kit and find it a typical barge with machinery on the decks. But Fulton's own patent drawings of 1809 show the "Steam Boat" with wheel covers and sponsons. This may be a depiction of the Steam Boat after modifications, or as originally built. As popular images of vessels are often defined by mistaken interpretations decades later and then codified of additional decades into popular acceptance, its hard to say which image is correct.
For the sake of discussion, lets assume the Steam Boat was guardless in 1807, and rebuilt as the North River Steam Boat [of Clermont] by 1809 with sponsons and wheel covers. Would the open paddles have been a problem?
The vessel was powered by a single cylinder, A frame beam engine, presumably low pressure and not very capable of fast revolutions. It was sufficiently powerful to move the vessel upstream, but not much more. The second might be in the very early and yet to be defined nature of the steamboat itself - the Steam Boat was built when standardized, or at least agreed upon principles of design had yet to come into place. A successful steamboat was achievement enough, and improvements would have to come in time. It was mostly a barge with machinery upon it.
The addition of sponsons and wheel covers by 1809 suggests that the original plan was lacking, or all wet. Perhaps the spray from a windy trip up the Hudson was all that was needed to convince the owners that covers were necessary. Or perhaps the complaints of drenched passengers already dubious of steamboats in general or the Fulton & Livingston monopoly on Hudson River steam motivated the transformation.
Fulton & Livingston were not inventors - they were commercial entreprenuers who wanted to make money. They had an idea, put it to work successfully, terrorized any competition, ruined interstate trade and spat upon the constitution (not that they were alone in this, monopoly was a popular idea in the name of free enterprise). It took Daniel Webster and the Supreme Court to force it down in 1821, when innovation could finally raise steam and set forth without fear of confiscation. Until that time, their reputation was vile and the only hope was in making a steam trip so attractive one would set aside principle and ride to Albany by daylight. Paddle covers helped and sponsons supported them. They were also the "thing" among other vessels and obviously what was hot on the Neva had to be incorporated on the Hudson.
Today Fulton's statue stands in the Library of Congress next to that of Moses. When erected in 1895 Fulton's fatherly benevolent reputation as parter of the waters was sufficient to place him next to a far greater giver of laws. Steamboats were still important in 1895 when the Library was built, and monoply and outrage long forgotton. But Fulton, like the Wright Brothers, Ross Winans, George Selden and Bill Gates was in his time a terrible figure who could not stand competition, sought to ruin any who stood against him, brought lawsuits with alarming frequency, and held back industrial development by twenty years. The Wrights had good publicists and a genuine pioneering success; Winans only a crank reputation as an locomotive builder, Seldons automobile patent fraud fought by Ford and others, and Gates - a story yet told. Fulton is largely forgotton, but occasionally remembered for his success rather than his terror. He was no Brunel.
Jim
Previous vessels had no paddle coverings, and sometimes not even paddles, as in teh case of the mechanical oar vessels
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