Abstract: A marine propulsion and steering unit (10) comprises a pod (13) having front and rear ends, a driving machine (14), e.g. a drive motor, accommodated in the pod, a substantially horizontal propeller shaft (15) drivingly connected to the driving machine and provided with a propeller (18) externally of the front end of the pod (13), and an upright pod supporting strut (12) rigidly attached to the pod and having at the upper end thereof swivel bearing means (11) supporting the pod supporting strut and the pod below a buoyant body for angular motion about a substantially vertical axis (C). The pod supporting strut (12) is shaped essentially as an upstanding airfoil the chord plane (V) of which contains or is proximal to the axis (T) of the propeller shaft (15) and the leading edge (12A) of which is directed towards the propeller (18).