HLM – Chapter 1046 The Little Boat Rows with Twin Oars

One major feature that couldn’t be seen from the photo was that both sides of the paddle steamer’s hull had a series of round openings, almost like a row of circular portholes.

Juan who came with Wang Bo was surprised when he saw them. “These openings—what are they for? Are they for passengers to sightsee?”

Rodet was just about to explain when Wang Bo said, “These must be for the paddle drive, right? No wonder these boats are cheap—their power system is basically an old-fashioned steam engine connected to wooden paddles.”

In 1786, John Fitch from the United States mounted a Watt steam engine on a boat. It was used to turn the rudder rather than propel the ship directly—the actual propulsion still came from twelve wooden paddles rowing the water. In other words, the engine produced power, but instead of driving a propeller, it drove the paddles beneath the hull.

From today’s perspective, this approach still hadn’t broken free from primitive shipbuilding concepts. It was like when the Chinese first invented gunpowder but didn’t use it to make bullets—instead they used the explosion to push arrows farther.

These inventions were all cases of using a high-powered cannon to shoot mosquitoes—overkill with poor efficiency.

In 1790, an American named Morsch improved the method. The steam engine still drove paddles, but this time the wooden paddles were redesigned into a linked system that rowed faster and more uniformly, increasing the boat’s speed.

Naturally, however, because the steam engine itself took up large amounts of space in the hull, even this improvement could not satisfy the shipping industry at the time, and this technology was phased out.

But after the twentieth century—especially after World War II—this retro style unexpectedly became popular among tourists and gradually made a comeback.

Wang Bo recognized it at a glance because he had seen such boats before. Though back then, the paddle systems were driven by internal machinery and were actually quite fast.

After listening, Rodet nodded with a smile. “Yes, these are the openings for the retractable paddles. But since the boat isn’t running now, the windows have to be sealed; otherwise the steam and water spray would damage the ship.”

No wonder these boats were cheap. The wooden paddle mechanism looked charming, but its value was much lower than a marine propeller. It required frequent maintenance and replacement, unlike the durable propeller.

Wang Bo boarded one of the boats and checked the steam engine, the rudder, and other important machinery. He didn’t bring an expert with him—this boat was basically an empty shell, and the steam-powered system had almost no electronic components.

So he could inspect it himself.

The boats were usable, but overall poorly maintained. Many interior decorations were ruined, the floorboards were rough, and the interior walls were damaged. If he wanted to use them for tourism, he would need to spend a lot of work restoring them.

After checking everything, he came down and said, “I can take all four boats. Pack them together—how about five hundred thousand?”

Rodet put on an unhappy expression and looked at Schneider. “Buddy, you must have told him the price I paid. Twelve thousand per boat? Then what am I even working for?”

Schneider spread his hands. “I only talked to him about the White Horse on the Waves. I don’t know anything about the other four. I never said anything.”

Wang Bo said, “This price is fair. Maybe you bought White Horse on the Waves for twelve hundred thousand, but the other four definitely weren’t that price—at most ten thousand each. Look at how damaged they are.”

“Scrap metal alone is worth more than ten thousand! My friend, these are fifteen-meter boats!” Rodet protested.

Wang Bo replied calmly, “To put them into operation, I’ll need to put at least another twenty thousand into each boat, right?”

“If you put in twenty thousand, then the set could sell for two hundred thousand!” Rodet said. “Five hundred thousand is absolutely impossible. How about this—fifty-eight thousand for all of them, since my buddy Schneider messed up the deal.”

Then came the bargaining session. Wang Bo glanced at Juan, signaling him to take over.

Juan was basically Wang Bo’s personal financial officer now. With the town’s expenses, his own expenses, and complex income streams, Juan handled all his finances.

He cleared his throat. “Fifty-eight thousand is too high. We can add two thousand. You know how long these boats have been sitting here. If you don’t sell them now, they’ll sit even longer. I won’t mention the mooring fee—you know better than I do how much value they’ll lose over time.”

“You’ve touched my heart,” Rodet said with a depressed look. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have bought these broken things. My capital is tied up, and I still have to pay mooring fees and maintenance…”

“Then let’s meet halfway—fifty-six thousand. Four fine boats for fifty-six—no way this is a bad deal.”

Juan shook his head firmly. “That’s our bottom line—fifty-two thousand. Anything higher and people will laugh at us. We don’t want to be taken advantage of.”

“But I can’t sell them without even making enough to cover the labor!” Rodet cried. “Do you know how much it cost to tow these from Auckland? Fifty-six is my bottom line. Not a dollar less.”

Juan sighed regretfully. “Then we can only take White Horse on the Waves. With the remaining money, buying a new boat might be better.”

Schneider pretended to mediate and pulled them together. “Come on, guys, you’re so close! Let’s close the deal. How about this, Mayor—fifty-six thousand, and I’ll arrange the towing to your lake.”

Rodet shook his head repeatedly. “My god, do you know how much towing costs?”

Schneider glared at him. “This time I’m deciding. You’re too greedy!”

Wang Bo smiled at the two of them. “Alright, Schneider, I’ll graciously accept the deal for your sake. You know, if it weren’t for you and the others giving me White Horse on the Waves, I wouldn’t have pretended to be confused.”

Clearly, before he came, the two had already coordinated a price. If Wang Bo insisted on fifty-two thousand, Rodet would still have sold, and the towing only cost a little over ten thousand.

Transporting the five boats from Wellington to Sunset Town overland was expensive, but there was no need. Wellington had a direct sea route to Dunedin; they could sail there first, then transfer by land, saving more than half the cost.

But Wang Bo needed to give Schneider face—not because of the boat gift, but because Sunset Band would be working under Schneider later. He was helping the Lane brothers form a good relationship.

Hearing this, both men laughed. Rodet shook his hand. “Thank you for your business. I’ll have them transported to Sunset Town as quickly as possible.”

Wang Bo waved his hand. “No rush. Find a shipyard first—repair and renovate them. Then send them over.”