Comet paddleboat engine. 1848 artwork showing the design of the engine that was used to power the PS Comet - Europe's first passenger steamboat. Designed by the Scottish engineer Henry Bell (1767-1830), it was launched from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1812 and was the first steamboat to travel at sea. It measured 12 metres in length and used a high-pressure steam engine to propel its paddle wheels.