Boats have been around since Stone Age times. The earliest boats一dugout canoes, log rafts and frames of sticks covered in animal skins一were all paddled or rowed. The Ancient Egyptians, in around 3000BC, were the first to use sails to harness the wind. By doing so. they discovered a much easier way to travel, and created enough power to drive much bigger boats. But really large ships need engines to power them, and it's only in the past 200 years that these have come into use. Some run on diesel, but the Fastest and biggest ships use gas or steam turbines.