[8] The first attempt of the "Screw Boat" began at Jackson's Wharf on Eddy's Point near Providence, Rhode Island, with a destination of Pawtuxet Village.

The return trip, however, resulted in humiliation when a gust of wind drove Experiment onto mud flats, causing its demise.

[2][11] Ultimately, the horse boat and all the associated items were seized by the sheriff at the behest of Grieve's creditors and sold for lack of payments on the loans, since it was not a successful venture.

[5] Nevertheless, the ship was carefully studied by Daniel French, who did the drawings for Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat (known as Clermont), and may have benefited that enterprise.

[5] Experiment is important as a precursor of public transportation on rivers, and it was the forerunner of a number of horse-powered boats, chiefly ferries used for more than a half-century along the eastern seaboard of the United States.