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Sharrow Marine founder Greg Sharrow came up with his idea for a better propeller while trying to design a drone quiet enough to shoot video of classical music concerts. It was easier to test his propeller in water than it was to repeatedly fly a drone—which gave him the idea for what would become a series of boat propellers. More than a decade later, Sharrow Marine’s new MX propeller is 80% quieter than competitors, making it less disruptive to wildlife, and its looping design makes it up to 30% more efficient than standard boat propellers.

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