Abstract: A thruster assembly is provided for a marine vessel, the assembly having a propeller unit (14), a motor (10) and a drive shaft (12) linking the motor (10) with the propeller unit (14) to drive the propeller unit (14). The drive shaft (12) is foldable and defines a drive path between the motor (10) and the propeller unit (14). A housing (2) locates the propeller unit (14) in a storage configuration. The motor (10) is fixed with respect to the housing (2), the housing (2) being adapted to be fixed with respect to an opening in a hull (8) of the marine vessel. An actuator (22) is operable to move the propeller unit (14) from the storage configuration to a deployment configuration in a direction from inboard to outboard, the propeller unit (14) being extended from the hull (8) for use in the deployment configuration. The propeller unit (14) is supported by a support assembly (36) which is pivotable relative to the housing (2) about a pivot axis (A).

Abstract: A line hauling device such as a windlass is disclosed for marine craft. The device has a support, a drum held on the support and rotatable with respect to the support, a motor for selectably driving rotation of the drum in a forward (hauling) direction and a reverse (paying out) direction, and a line laying mechanism for laying the line onto the drum. The drum is adapted to store the line on the drum. When operated in the forward direction, the line-laying mechanism lays the line onto the drum in a first series of turns. On completion of the first series of turns the line-laying mechanism lays the line in a second series of turns overlying the first series of turns. The line-laying mechanism includes a carriage which is driven reciprocally with respect to the drum by rotation of the drum.