How early sonar work avoided paddle and machinery noise

Did paddle-wheel noise interfere with early mine-detection sonar?

Operators moved in pulses and listened while drifting, which removed propulsion noise from the listening period; the exchange does not settle whether paddles were inherently noisier.

Early sonar practice often used a move-and-listen cycle to avoid propulsion noise during mine detection. The ship advanced under power, then drifted while operators used the set. The quiet interval removed propulsion noise from the immediate detection period. The relative inherent noise of paddles and screws remains unresolved, so this exchange supports the operating method rather than a claim that one system was quieter.