Seeking advice on Bow Thrusters

Have extern thrusters fore and aft. They work really well. Go one size larger than what the recommend. My boat is 36' about 22,000 pounds. I went with the 300s rather than the 230 they suggested based on internet research I did. I run the boat single handed, it's nice to be able to use the remote to hold it against the dock while I handle the lines.

Alex at Yachtthruster provides outstanding customer service and still responds promptly to questions even though I purchased them three years ago.

That's a nice installation OtR. I wonder how much of a cost difference if any VS. a tunnel unit? Up here I would worry a log would knock it right off.

John(OTR), User feedback is useful, just what the OP needs. Are they Exturn brand units, how was the fitting process,(easy, tough, cost), did you need more battery, etc.

I think thrusters are over rated. Just buy $2,000.00 worth of fenders and keep them chained together around your boat. On a serious note I agree with previous post, up size if you can and make sure you do the same to the size of power wire that you use.

20 years I have been operating Tidahapah, single engine no thruster and no problems but as I get older and more cautious the thruster thoughts are more prevelant.
I was tieing up to a wall and 2 poles the other day with a 25 knot SE breeze and during and upon completion I thought a thruster would have been really handy and so did my mate on board , he is also the boat builder who has done a lot of work on Tidahapah during the last few years.
I said I didn't have the space in the fwd bilge to fit one, in a flash he was down there , tape in hand and before i know it he says no problems and we could fit one for about 8k, I think my Boss would be pretty happy with that so it has gone on the wish list.

As much as I have said a bow thruster is not required they really are a handy piece of equipment, always fit over size and for mine they should be tube mounted , especially in the bow as the appendage is surely prone to damage.

Any how that's my take on it.
Cheers
Benn

Greetings,
Mr. T. Just for the sake of interest, how would one mount a thruster in a wooden hull? I expect epoxy would be involved?

Tidahapah said:

20 years I have been operating Tidahapah, single engine no thruster and no problems but as I get older and more cautious the thruster thoughts are more prevelant.......

As much as I have said a bow thruster is not required they really are a handy piece of equipment, always fit over size and for mine they should be tube mounted , especially in the bow as the appendage is surely prone to damage.

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Older, cautious? How about smarter? There are many adjectives that describe wisdom.

seasalt007 said:

Everything that I have heard about the external thrusters is that your little finger pushing on the bow would have the same effect.

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Great Laker has a bow and stern thruster (both electric). I can spin the boat rapidly in a perfect circle either way, and they are quite responsive in 1 or 2 second bursts. One limitation is they can overheat with long on times and shut down. That is one advantage of the hydraulic thrusters.

Great Laker said:

Great Laker has a bow and stern thruster (both electric). I can spin the boat rapidly in a perfect circle either way, and they are quite responsive in 1 or 2 second bursts. One limitation is they can overheat with long on times and shut down. That is one advantage of the hydraulic thrusters.

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Are they external thrusters? Or tunnel?

The bow is tunnel with 2 props, installed at the factory. The stern has an external tube with one prop, coupled through a hole in the transom to the motor inside, and was installed by the AT dealer after delivery to the Great Lakes. It is directly under and protected by the boarding platform.

They can be operated singly or jointly by a single integrated controller shaped like a boat. Twist the boat and you get pure rotation. Push the boat sideways and you get pure translation. Push the nose sideways to move the bow in that direction, and ditto for the stern.

All made by Sidepower.

Hi Lobstah,
The advice you were given on boat handling was absolutely spot on, I used to 'practice out of site to get it right'.
However with a larger boat, advancing years and Commander in Chief with a sore shoulder for doing the ropework the time had come for me to fit one on our newly acquired Broom 42.
We bought a 95kg Vetus bow thruster off Ebay, fitted it and we also changed the control system from a single lever Morse control with separate bow thruster switch to a single lever Morse CH1700 series control with incorporated bow thruster control from Park at Hopkins-Carter Marine(very helpful commercial member on TF) making single handed operation child's play.
Absolutely brilliant set up and highly recommended.


I don't want to be cheeky or try and teach my granny to suck eggs.
When reversing a single screw boat I go astern dead slow, rudder amidships, to correct direction turn the rudder in the opposite direction, give a short 2/3 second bust ahead, centre the rudder and go slowly astern again, correct as necessary.
I hope this is helpful to you.

Backing singles screw vessels is not just a one "type" maneuver as many different boats handle completely differently...especially as the conditions become more demanding.

They can benefit from either kind of thruster.....if I had my druthers....I would still go bow thruster for a trawler type vessel. The large rudder will allow me to kick the stern and move it sideways, but the bow needs a lot of forward or reverse direction to get it to move on most of the single screw boats I have driven.

RT,
The installation will entail the use of epoxy plus Fiber glass tube ( timber tubes are really hard to get right!!!!)
A bit of rib cutting and backing timber installation.
All in all not a difficult job.

While still wary of them....I would think an external unit bow thruster might be a good application for a timber hull.

Not that epoxy can't work wonders.

Not a chance in hell mate.
Tunnels are a tried and proven way of putting in thrusters and for larger boats ,it would be a hell of a protrusion.
Who wants something hanging of the bow of their boat. I also think it could get a few wacks from the anchor or chain.
I have a steel shoe to protect the bow and keel so only think it would be a problem

Great Laker said:

They can be operated singly or jointly by a single integrated controller shaped like a boat. Twist the boat and you get pure rotation. Push the boat sideways and you get pure translation. Push the nose sideways to move the bow in that direction, and ditto for the stern.

All made by Sidepower.

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I thought I'd seen it all but never have I seen a thruster control such as you have described. Neat!

Greetings,
Mr. T "...timber tubes are really hard to get..." Now there's a defeatist attitude if I ever heard one. Ya gotta think outside the boxwood man.

Another BT saved the day story. 2007 Broughton ILs. PNW. Single motor blows up and 52 foot fish boat comes to tow. He is in a hurry to make 5 hour tow before sunset. I barley get bow line secured he takes of full boar and tows me dead on to mid ship of only other boat anchored anywhere near. I run down my wide side deck to helm and lean on the thruster. Result a barely glancing blow to the bow rail avoiding a full on collision. Glory be the BT and the wide decks. If I had twins a very different story. So a big vote for the BT wide side decks and twin motors based on my real life experience..

Tidahapah.
Sheesh, aboriginal Australians have been using wooden tubes for years !

psneeld said:

Backing singles screw vessels is not just a one "type" maneuver as many different boats handle completely differently...especially as the conditions become more demanding.

They can benefit from either kind of thruster.....if I had my druthers....I would still go bow thruster for a trawler type vessel. The large rudder will allow me to kick the stern and move it sideways, but the bow needs a lot of forward or reverse direction to get it to move on most of the single screw boats I have driven.

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I would agree about preferring a bow thruster. However mine had a stern thruster when I bought it and I have gotten quite used to it.

jleonard said:

I would agree about preferring a bow thruster. However mine had a stern thruster when I bought it and I have gotten quite used to it.

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We have same setup, a hydraulic stern thruster. I have gotten used to it but its main issue is when we use it to move the stern to port, the boat seems to pivot and the bow moves starboard.

Donsan said:

I have gotten used to it but its main issue is when we use it to move the stern to port, the boat seems to pivot and the bow moves starboard.

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????

Donsan said:

We have same setup, a hydraulic stern thruster. I have gotten used to it but its main issue is when we use it to move the stern to port, the boat seems to pivot and the bow moves starboard.

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Yes in a no wind, no current situation the boat will pivot about it's center.
I have no issue with that, its "what it does" and I have learned how to use that to my advantage.
Similar to how we use the "back to port" (or starboard) characteristic of a single screw boat. You learn how much it moves and use that in your planning.

BruceK said:

John(OTR), User feedback is useful, just what the OP needs. Are they Exturn brand units, how was the fitting process,(easy, tough, cost), did you need more battery, etc.

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Yes, Exturn brand. If I recall correctly the cost for both thrusters with install was around 5 to 6 K. They would be an easy diy install in most situations as they only require drilling a hole (1 inch I think). In my case the bow was a little more complicated as a frp base had to be made. I chose 24 volt units for more power (OTR is 12). I wanted short battery cable runs so installed 2 Optima blue top 12V bats wired together to get 24V fore and aft.

http://www.yachtthruster.com/models-technical

Yachtthruster provides a complete package with every nut bolt etc. to complete the install. I chose to purchase batterys and cables locally.

I know people are concerned about hitting something with them but I really don't think it's a problem. On plane, the thruster is above the water line so no issue for speed demons. The units are super tough probably as tough as my hull. In a slow boat like mine if I hit something hard enough to hurt the thruster I would probably have knocked a hole in the hull anyway.

Capt.Bill11 said:

Actually, a bow thruster would be of even more help to a twin screw boat with one engine out then it is to a single screw boat.

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I agree, I had two boats with twin screws and was never able to maneuver in marinas with on one engine running (tried several times...) - A tunnel bow thruster in my horizon...

Seen on a Nordic Tug at the recent boat show. Interesting take on a stern thruster.

dhmeissner said:

Seen on a Nordic Tug at the recent boat show. Interesting take on a stern thruster.

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I've seen that on their site for the 49' model. It would be interesting to see what the internals look like. Was it a single or twin prop?

Actually can't recall... I think dual.

Looks like it would be more efficient down low like that than the typical stern thruster with the tube bolted to the transom just below the water line, as ours is.

I have had a bow thruster on a single. I currently have an externally mounted stern thruster...protected bolt on hydraulic. Makes no difference, either will 'git er done after you learn to use either.