I am not sure if this is true vintage or simply eccentric.
This is a narrow boat, moored on the Grand Union Canal in Uxbridge and it is powered by a water paddle.
PS. I mentioned that my sons, girlfriends mum ( @jokristina ) joined this project a couple of days ago, well my sons, girlfriend has now also joined. If you get a chance, please welcome Hannah ( @hannahchiloe ) to our club.
Wow, what a peculiar arrangement! I'll ask Lester about this when he gets home, he knows quite a bit about narrow boats. I should think it's someone's eccentricity, though.
I've consulted the oracle and he says he thinks this is a one off. It would be good for going through shallow water or water with lots of reeds in because the paddle is less likely to get choked up than the usual propeller is. But the draw back is that the rotation of the paddle is opposed at 90 degrees to the rotation of the drive shaft from the motor and that needs extra mechanism in order to link the two. Hope I've explained that OK!
@dulciknit