What watercraft did Leonardo da Vinci design to move using paddle wheels?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a paddle boat propelled by paddle wheels rather than by sails alone.

The rotating wheels were intended to push against the water and drive the boat forward. Leonardo’s sketches show how mechanical power could be transmitted through gears and shafts to the paddles, anticipating ideas later used in paddle-wheel propulsion.

The design reflects his interest in waterways, transport, and machines that could operate independently of wind direction. It was a conceptual invention in his notebooks, not a confirmed powered vessel launched by Leonardo.

The paddle boat is often mentioned alongside Leonardo’s studies of canals, locks, pumps, and water wheels. It should not be called a steamboat: steam power was not the operating principle in Leonardo’s design, and practical steam navigation came centuries later.