A bow- or sternthruster is always a useful tool for close quarter manoeuvring, yet retro fitting can be awkward, costly and time-consuming. Now an Austrian firm, Marinno, has come up with a neat solution. DENNIS O’NEILL REPORTS.

The thruster was originally developed for our own needs,” he explains. “However, it worked so well that we decided to offer it to other boaters and sailors.”

As head of research and development at the Austrian marine equipment company Marinno, he realised it could become a successful commercial product.