A Brief History of Human Powered Transportation

New Propulsion Concepts

New concepts were needed to increase the speed capability of water craft with a fixed human power input. One of the first to be explored was that of replacing oars with a propeller. As early as 1890 a propeller driven catamaran powered by three riders completed a 101 mile course down the Thames (UK) from Oxford to Putney in 19 hours 27 mins and 50 seconds. The same course in a tripple-sculls boat took 22 hours and 28 seconds making the water-cycle 13% faster.

From: Whitt and Wilson,
"Bicycling Science, "The MIT Press (1974)

The advantage of the water-cycle comes in part from the efficiency of the propeller which is about 90% rather than the 70% of sculls. In addition, the propeller enables a constant hull speed to be maintained as compared to the oscillating hull velocity produced by sculling. Recognizing that the skin-friction drag depends on the square of the hull speed through the water indicates that a constant speed is desirable. The different hull design of shells and catamarans will favor the boat with the smallest whetted surface area and the highest hull-speed. Aerodynamic drag may favor the shell as the rowers present less frontal area than the 'cyclists' shown in the picture.