Why steam propulsion changed naval warfare

Which transition in naval warfare was the most transformative?

The shift from the age of sail to early steam ironclads, because propulsion ceased to depend primarily on wind or human muscle.

Rowing survived well into the gun age of sail, including American use during the War of 1812. That continuity makes the shift from oar to sail less absolute than a simple period label suggests. The more decisive break came when artificial power let ships move independently of both wind and human muscle. Steam propulsion and early ironclads opened a different technological and tactical era.