A special characteristic of the paddlewheelers are the swinging landing stages. One or two of these stages are fixed with ropes at the bow of the boat. The passengers are entering and leaving the boat by walking over these stages.
The flat hull of a paddlewheeler enables the pilot to stop at nearly every place at the banks and moor the boat with ropes e.g. at some trees. Then, after lowering the stage, the passengers can leave the boat. For this reason, especially sternwheelers do not need any special landing places.
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