Q&A · 4:02:03-4:02:34

A paddle-wheel third-rate for a 1750s steampunk fleet

A third-rate ship of the line with deliberately anachronistic paddle-wheel propulsion offers the most room for experimentation.

Question

What kind of steampunk warship would make sense in the 1750s?

Short answer

A third-rate ship of the line with deliberately anachronistic paddle-wheel propulsion offers the most room for experimentation.

Notes

The 1750s are too early for practical steam propulsion, so the premise starts as an intentional anachronism. The chosen hull is a third-rate ship of the line because it offers the most room for experimenting with the design. Paddle wheels provide the steampunk propulsion. This is a conceptual design, with no claim that contemporary yards or engines could make it practical.