|
|
04-14-2019, 05:35 PM
|
#1
|
Veteran Member
City: Western Suburbs of Chicago
Vessel Name: Kimberly Dawn
Vessel Model: 1984 Marine Trader 40 Sundeck Trawlet
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 85
|
Bow or Stern Thruster?
To all owners of 40-foot+/- single-screw trawlers, who have experience using either bow or stern thrusers:
If you had your choice between two nearly identical boats, one with a bow thruster (only) and the other with a stern thruster (only), which would you choose?
What are the advantages of having a bow thruster over having a stern thruster?
What are the advantages of having a stern thruster over having a bow thruster?
Thank you in advance for your consideration and feedback responses, experience, opinions, and advice.
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 05:51 PM
|
#2
|
Moderator Emeritus
City: Au Gres, MI
Vessel Name: Black Dog
Vessel Model: Formula 41PC
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 21,185
|
We have a 41’ trawler with twin engines. I put a stern thruster in our boat 2 years ago. If I would want to put a bow thruster in it would probably have to be a pod type thruster since there isn’t room for a tunnel due to our water tank. I wanted a stern thruster because my wife handles the bow lines and I do the stern line but I have to come down from the bridge and sometimes the stern has blown off the dock so I can use the thruster with the remote to bring the stern back to the dock. Having said that I would choose the boat in the best condition rather than which thruster it has. You can always add the other thruster but bringing a boat in poor condition back is going to cost way more than a thruster.
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 05:57 PM
|
#3
|
Guru
City: Phoenix, AZ
Vessel Name: Enigma
Vessel Model: 1997 Wellcraft Excel 26 SE
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 658
|
A twist on the same question. Which is easier to add (to the better condition boat) - Bow Or Stern thruster?
My guess would be a stern thruster would be easier, less hassle and less money.
However I don't know the answer.
__________________
>>>>>>>>>>>Action
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 06:06 PM
|
#4
|
Veteran Member
City: Western Suburbs of Chicago
Vessel Name: Kimberly Dawn
Vessel Model: 1984 Marine Trader 40 Sundeck Trawlet
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 85
|
Comodave, the underlying assumption of my question was that both boats were, for all practical purposes, identical and in the same condition -- the only difference between them being that one had a bow thruster and the other had a stern thruster: which would be preferable, all less being equal?
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 06:40 PM
|
#5
|
Guru
City: San Diego
Vessel Model: Helmsman 4304
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 2,005
|
Boiler, I would choose bow in the scenario you have presented.
BTW, our previous two boats had twins, so I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous to transition to a single. I definitely have room for improvement, but After a year, it has not been a big deal.
BTW, are you a boiler maker by trade?
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 06:41 PM
|
#6
|
Guru
City: Gooding ID/Wrangell AK
Vessel Name: Silver Bay
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42-002
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,040
|
I’ve had both and the most important thing is to be sure it has enough horses to be effective. I can tell you conclusively a 5hp bow thruster and a 5hp stern thruster on a 42 Nordic Tug is 10hp short of being enough. Being underpowered is the best training there is to get better at handling a single screw boat. Anything over 40ft should have an 8-10hp thruster. If I could only have one, I liked the stern because it was more useful when docking to port.
Tom
Tom
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 06:48 PM
|
#7
|
Moderator Emeritus
City: Au Gres, MI
Vessel Name: Black Dog
Vessel Model: Formula 41PC
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 21,185
|
If the boats are in the same condition then I would go with a bow thruster since on most boats adding a stern thruster is simple. It took 2 of us about a day and a half to do the stern thruster. Pretty simple DIY job.
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 07:00 PM
|
#8
|
Veteran Member
City: Western Suburbs of Chicago
Vessel Name: Kimberly Dawn
Vessel Model: 1984 Marine Trader 40 Sundeck Trawlet
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 85
|
Fletcher500,
I'm a 1975 Purdue University graduate/alumnus; Purdue is known as the Boilermakers, and their mascot is "Boilermaker Pete." Hence my "Boilermaker75" user ID.
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 07:03 PM
|
#9
|
Veteran Member
City: Western Suburbs of Chicago
Vessel Name: Kimberly Dawn
Vessel Model: 1984 Marine Trader 40 Sundeck Trawlet
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 85
|
Comodave,
Does your response imply that you would add a stern thruster to the boat that had a bow truster, and vice versa, you would add a bow thruster to the boat that had a stern thruster, so you had both? But since adding a stern thruster is simpler/easier than adding a bow thruster, you'd buy the boat that had the bow thruster and add the stern thruster to it?
What if you could have only one -- either a bow thruster or a stern thruster? Which would you choose?
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 07:07 PM
|
#10
|
Guru
City: Kitimat, North Coast BC
Vessel Name: Badger
Vessel Model: 30' Sundowner Tug
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 5,946
|
Bow thruster, and kick the arse over with bursts to the rudder...with an intention to modify rudder into a Thistle/Fishtail so it moves stern even better.
__________________
"The most interesting path between two points is not a straight line" MurrayM
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 07:11 PM
|
#11
|
Veteran Member
City: Western Suburbs of Chicago
Vessel Name: Kimberly Dawn
Vessel Model: 1984 Marine Trader 40 Sundeck Trawlet
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 85
|
MurrayM,
I've never hear of a "Thistle/Fishtail" rudder; could you explain or clarify further? Thanks.
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 07:13 PM
|
#12
|
Guru
City: Nanaimo
Vessel Name: former owner of "Pilitak"
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 37
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,703
|
Boilermaker,
Our boat is a single engine with bow thruster (Nordic Tug 37). We can kick the stern fairly well with either a burst in forward (rudder placed first appropriately) or using the starboard prop walk in reverse. Using the bow thruster and the above mentioned "bursts", we can basically "walk the boat" sideways to the starboard side. Using the bow thruster we can even "back to port" but it is way more difficult and takes lots of practise. If I had a spare $10-15 grand, I would add a stern thruster, but we are doing fine without it.
So, in my humble opinion, a bow thruster is very useful on a single engine, and a stern thruster is a "nice to have".
Hope that helps,
Tom
__________________
Tom
Nanaimo, BC
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 07:17 PM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
City: SOMERS POINT, NJ
Vessel Name: SOJOURN
Vessel Model: SWIFT TRAWLER 44
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 172
|
My vote is a bow thruster
We have a 44 Swift Trawler with both bow and stern thrusters.
Bow thruster helps get the bow in control
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 07:18 PM
|
#14
|
Guru
City: Kitimat, North Coast BC
Vessel Name: Badger
Vessel Model: 30' Sundowner Tug
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 5,946
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boilermaker75
MurrayM,
I've never hear of a "Thistle/Fishtail" rudder; could you explain or clarify further? Thanks.
|
This should get you started: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schilling_rudder
__________________
"The most interesting path between two points is not a straight line" MurrayM
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 07:23 PM
|
#15
|
Moderator Emeritus
City: Au Gres, MI
Vessel Name: Black Dog
Vessel Model: Formula 41PC
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 21,185
|
We put the stern thruster in for a specific reason, in a generic boat I would go for the installed bow thruster. It is more work to install and therefore much more expensive than a stern thruster.
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 07:23 PM
|
#16
|
Guru
City: Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island
Vessel Name: Capricorn
Vessel Model: Mariner 30 - Sedan Cruiser 1969
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 2,019
|
For me in that scenario I'd want a bow thruster. You already have a degree of control in the stern with a) prop walk and b) rudder maneuvering. In the bow, you have nothing, nadda, zippo, so more control in the front would be a good thing. I installed an Exturn bow thruster in front, an external pod type thruster - still not cheap.
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 07:27 PM
|
#17
|
Moderator Emeritus
City: Au Gres, MI
Vessel Name: Black Dog
Vessel Model: Formula 41PC
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 21,185
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by rsn48
For me in that scenario I'd want a bow thruster. You already have a degree of control in the stern with a) prop walk and b) rudder maneuvering. In the bow, you have nothing, nadda, zippo, so more control in the front would be a good thing. I installed an Exturn bow thruster in front, an external pod type thruster - still not cheap.
|
Did you do the install yourself or did you pay to have it installed? I have been looking at the Exturn pod thruster if I can figure a way out to access the interior without ripping out all of the forward cabin.
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 08:38 PM
|
#18
|
Senior Member
City: Beaufort, NC
Vessel Name: Legacy
Vessel Model: Ocean Alexander 48E
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 124
|
I have a 40 Eagle w/single engine. It came with a bow thruster and 4 years ago I installed a Lewmar stern thruster. If I could choose only one it would be the bow for all the reasons rsn48 cited. I have installed both and the stern is much easier but with a reasonable amount of fiberglassing and wiring skill you can do either.
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 08:38 PM
|
#19
|
Technical Guru
City: Wilmington, NC
Vessel Name: Louisa
Vessel Model: Custom Built 38
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 6,194
|
I run a 38' single screw with a bow thruster but no stern thruster. Never really felt the need for a stern thruster as I can control that end with rudder and prop. I do REALLY like the bow thruster!
My vote is the bow thruster is at least a few times more handy than stern.
|
|
|
04-14-2019, 08:50 PM
|
#20
|
Guru
City: Kitimat, North Coast BC
Vessel Name: Badger
Vessel Model: 30' Sundowner Tug
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 5,946
|
J
Quote:
Originally Posted by steelydon
I have a 40 Eagle w/single engine. It came with a bow thruster and 4 years ago I installed a Lewmar stern thruster. If I could choose only one it would be the bow for all the reasons rsn48 cited. I have installed both and the stern is much easier but with a reasonable amount of fiberglassing and wiring skill you can do either.
|
Sigh...when Badger grows up, it wants to be a Transpac Eagle 40
__________________
"The most interesting path between two points is not a straight line" MurrayM
|
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Trawler Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|