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In 2013, DockStar's founder, Randall Sprague, was docking his trawler at his home port. As he approached his dock, the stern started drifting towards his slip mate's boat. His trawler had a single engine with a fixed screw, and there was no way to bring the stern in without going forward (no room) or backing out and trying again. He ran to the stern to get the stern line ashore, but he slipped and fell. He tore his patellar tendon right off his knee cap.
The six month recovery time gave him plenty of time to think about how to add more maneuverability to his trawler. He looked at traditional thrusters, but realized they would not fit well in his boat and would be too expensive to install both stern and bow thrusters even if it were possible. A new product approach was required. It was time to think outside of the box, or outside of the tunnel in this case!
This story helps explain why DockStar is committed to providing effective and affordable thrusters. We know that thrusters greatly increase the safety and pleasure of boating, and yet most boats do not have them due to the great inconveniences and cost associated with traditional thrusters.
By applying our knowledge of high-tech product design to a classic boating problem we were able to come up with a solution only made possible by recent innovations in battery and electronics technologies. The name "Smart Thruster" just naturally came to being because it was clear that the simple and elegant concept of a self-contained, portable thruster was truly the smart way to go for many boaters.
