Frédéric Sauvage

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Frédéric Sauvage (1786-1857) was a French boat builder who carried out early tests of screw-type marine propellers. In a public demonstration with a small boat on January 15, 1832 in Honfleur he was able to show that a propeller is more efficient than the then standard paddle-wheels located on the sides of the boat. Unfortunately he was not able to interest the French Navy in his idea and when he tried to develop it commercially on his own he was not successful, went bankrupt and landed in debtor’s prison for a time. Today, the practical development of propellers is generally credited to Francis Pettit Smith in England and to Captain John Ericsson (England, U.S.A) who took out patents in 1836, although Sauvage was clearly a pioneer.