Powerful steam engines freed blockade runners from waiting for the wind and tide conditions required by sailing ships. Their main physical constraint became a channel deep enough for the vessel. That freedom made timing an escape easier and made interception harder for the patrol. Blockaders sometimes responded by interfering with channel-marker buoys, even though the discussion acknowledges that they were not supposed to do so.
Notable Point · 24:12-25:12
Steam power changes blockade running
Steam propulsion freed runners from favorable winds and tides, shifting interception toward channel depth, engine power, and navigational markers.