"Why the World’s Greatest Naval Power Opposed the..." Topic

… Use of Steam Ships.

"From the start of the 19th century, the race was on to create steam-powered navies. This would eventually take the world's fleets from wooden sailing ships to the high-tech vessels we know today. But the process of change was slow, and Great Britain, the greatest naval power of the era, opposed this advance in technology.

Steam power was developed in the 18th century, as the first steps were taken in the industrial revolution. Initially used for processes such as powering factories and pumping air out of mines, steam engines became increasingly compact and powerful, in particular through the work of Scottish inventor James Watt.

The USA was the first country to produce a steam-powered warship. The Demologos was developed to solve difficulties fighting Britain during the War of 1812. Twin-hulled and driven by internal paddle wheels, she was little more than a floating artillery platform. Utterly unseaworthy, she was still able to help defend the harbor at New York…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Dear me Tango you really do find some tosh !!

Can't you find REAL sources not just rubbish like this.

Well, the article isn't entirely wrong; the British Admiralty was not thrilled at the strategic shift the steam engine represented, since it offered a whole new array of options to an enemy army trying to cross the channel . But the article gets it wrong that the British tried to hold the technology back or interfere with it; they simply kept abreast of developments and kept pace. I think it's very telling that the first RN steamship (the Comet) entered service in 1821, while the first French steamer (The Sphinx) didn't enter service until 1829.

-Will

Yep – Britain wasn't in a hurry to replace the reliable "wooden walls" that had protected them for centuries – along with building an empire.

On the other hand, they weren't a bunch of fools trying to hold back progress either. There was, of course, quite a bit of hide-bound traditionalism in the Admiralty but, there were also plenty of people in the right places who could see the need to update the fleet – logically…

I always tried my friend… with no so good results… (smile).

I don't consider it that bad….

Amicalement
Armand

Well it took skill to manage a Sailing Ship, far more than a Stream powered ship.

"Britain wasn't in a hurry to replace the reliable "wooden walls""
While over the hill admirals have always been conservative, actually, Britain pushed the new idea of iron hulls. Simply put, getting good, big, old growth timber was getting harder to do. In addition, the shear size of the newest and biggest ships was simply pushing the limit of wooden construction techniques.