The boat was first produced in 1915, and most were made in the 1920's. It was made possible by the development of light-weight gasoline engines, and the perfection of the ingenious device that gives the boat it's name... the disappearing propeller.

 The device allows the operator to lift the propeller up into an interior housing. This gives the boat the ability to go almost anywhere a canoe can go, as the boat will still move with as little as an inch of propeller-blade sticking out the bottom.

As a further bonus, the whole contraption will retract itself automatically if you strike a log, or a shoal.... usually.