A paddle boat (US English, Canadian & Australian) or "pedalo" (UK) is a form of waterborne transport, primarily for recreational use, powered through the use of pedals.
Paddleboats work by utilizing the pedaling motion to rotate a paddle wheel similar to the form of marine propulsion used in the earlier paddle steamers. Some two seater paddleboats have three pedals on each side to allow one person to pedal from the center if boating alone. They are sometimes available for rental on small park lakes, and are commonly preferred for non-competitive fishing for their quieter motion compared to motorboats. A common type of paddleboat allows two people to sit side by side, pedaling together.
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Probably the earliest reference to a paddleboat can be found in drawings by Leonardo da Vinci where he depicts a paddle powered craft driven by two pedals.[1]
Cricketer Andrew Flintoff was infamously stripped of his England vice-captaincy for riding a paddleboat whilst drunk in Saint Lucia.[2]