Traffic jam on the Wareham river

A boat carrying sightseers (from, most probably, Poole) has reversed from Wareham quay in order to turn about 30 metres downstream, taking little or no notice of the canoe heading down the river beside it.

In the canoe were a very worried mother and a less worried youngster. Had the captain of the sightseeing boat waited for just half a minute, the canoe would have had the time to travel far enough downstream. However, the large boat moved downstream, fairly close to the canoe - so, understandably, the alarmed canoeists pulled into the right bank and waited for the boat to turn and head downstream.

I always thought that the adage "sail before steam" still applied. But does an oar qualify as a sail in this instance?