Paddlewheelers

Part of Technology of Otheia
Part of Trade and Transportation
Part of Ships of Otheia
The use of paddlewheels on watercraft first appear in Otheia in the late Warlord period, in an engineering manual by Aldicos Cardari.  where he describes multigeared paddle wheels working as a ship odometer. The first mention of paddle wheels as a means of driving the vessel appear in the Warlord era treatise The Remedy of War (chapter XVII), where an  anonymous author describes an ox-driven paddle-wheel ship. 
Other drawings of such vessels have appeared in the intervening time, and paddlewheelers are a relatively rare, though extant, sight on the waterways of Otheia. The first known paddlewheeler-of-war was The Northman, an Ersers-ship belonging to the Realm of the Northern Shore, in 40 of the Otheiae calendar. The Northman is said to have surpassed a nearby galley in both speed and maneuverability. 
The most common means of powering the vessels are by hand-crank and by ox-pulled capstans which turn the wheels. The most common use of Paddlewheelers is on riverine craft, particularly for traversing upstream along the long the rivers of Otheia. These make use of their paddles to maneuver in the channels and to transport cargo far more quickly than traditional oar-powered craft. Their maneuverability and speed also make them desirable for warships, which always seek a competitive edge against enemy vessels. All such vessels have a relatively short range, akin to galleys, restricting them to limited regional operations.
Category:Trade and Transportation
Category:Technology of Otheia
Category:Ships of Otheia