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A close-up of RV Melville’s stern thrusters. The ship does not have rudders. RV Melville steers by rotating the thrusters on a vertical shaft to get thrust in any direction. The propellers are nine feet in diameter. The nozzles help direct the stream of water from the propellers, and they also help eliminate side forces caused by them. The light colored bars on the nozzles are sacrificial zinc anodes that help protect the hull and immersed steel work from electrolysis. If there are electric currents, the zinc will dissolve before the current starts attacking the metal of the ship.

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