Drive wheel questions.

[Rodsco]

Hi All.Im scratch building a sternwheeler which will be driven by 12v motor with plastic chain drive.A couple of q's if I may...How do I prevent water from the drive wheel entering the hull around the hole in the rear wall that the chain passes through please?
Also..Roughly how much of the paddle depth should be in the water?
I intend to build a test hull which will allow vertical height adjustment of the wheel.
Thanks.

[william stafford]

i dont know w a stern wheeler, but a side wheeler needs all the float submerged plus about3 mm, too allow for water scoop edffect, for maximum thrust
most build a dam wall inside the back of the model in the engine room, w its floor sloping to the stern , to drain water out, what beats the dam, you just have to suck out

[Hankwilliams]

not big problem with a wheelbox like in the pictures. The model wheels are turning much faster than the original ones, so that it`s  very likely to get water in the stern section.

Thomas