Talk:Steamer

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I listed Steamboat, Steamship, and Paddle steamer, as well as the redirect Steamer on the Wikipedia:Duplicate articles page. I think that the first 2 terms are interchangeable based on the "What links here" lists, and although paddle steamer is ok as a separate article, there's some overlap with what's in the other 2 articles. I think there shd be only steamboat or steamship but not both. But I'm not a ship-boat expert, so I'm not going to decide or attempt to merge the text appropriately. (And I just went thru and changed all unclarified "steamer" links to "steamboat" but now not sure whether that's right...) Elf | Talk 05:29, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

• Steamboat is a more specific term: not merely a boat propelled by steam, but specifically a shallow-draft vessel used on inland waterways. One might take a steamship from England to America, but one would be ill-advised to take a steamboat. "Steamer" also means "soft-shell clam". - Nunh-huh 05:35, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)