Thrusters remote control?

Guys, my new to me boat has bow and stern thrusters installed from East Coast Bow Thrusters. They are the Vetus 55 in the stern and the Vetus 75 in the bow. On the helm there is a joystick style control station. Am I able to add a remote to this system? Wireless?? I'd love to be able be on the swim grid or even on the dock and manipulate the thrusters while docking if I'm alone. I'm gonna call E C Bow Thrusters this morning.

Thanks.

Should be able to. I absolutely love mine. Do a lot of single handed docking and comes in handy.

Even with a crew docking it works well. My CoCaptain drives the boat, and when backing in, I'm on the stern and tweak the stern using the remote to align the boat as we back. In calm water I can tweak wishing inches.

Thanks seevee. I got some good info from the factory in Maryland. I need a Remco 2 unit and they are about $325. Very simple install and networking. Can't wait to get it!

Just ordered it! It was $262.99 from Defender Industries.

Guess I don't understand how a remote would be useful unless it controlled both the thrusters and engine/transmission -- especially when single handing. But just the thrusters?

(Thrusters + engine is on my list for the *next* boat.)

danderer said:

Guess I don't understand how a remote would be useful unless it controlled both the thrusters and engine/transmission -- especially when single handing. But just the thrusters?

(Thrusters + engine is on my list for the *next* boat.)

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Because if I hop on the dock with my stern line in hand I can secure the stern and not worry (as much) about the bow getting blown off the dock. I can give it a little more thrust and then walk forward.

danderer said:

Guess I don't understand how a remote would be useful unless it controlled both the thrusters and engine/transmission -- especially when single handing. But just the thrusters?

(Thrusters + engine is on my list for the *next* boat.)

Click to expand...

I have a remote for my bow thruster and use it frequently. Part of the reason is that the dash-mounted controller is on the opposite side of the wheel from where I stand when I'm backing and it's mounted low.

Even if I'm going forward and want to use the dash-mounted control, I have to momentarily take my eyes off where I'm going locate and use the control, then stand up again and control the movement of the boat..

With the remote on a lanyard around my neck it's a simple matter to hold it in my right hand and use it as needed without having to take my eyes of my progress. I wouldn't be without one.

I assume the thruster switch controls a relay which actually runs the thruster. Just like a windlass. So it would seem to me you could get one of these and save $245:

With a sundeck boat, I run the boat on the flybridge, my wife takes the bow line. After getting a line on the bow, I usually work the stern to the dock with the engines. But sometimes by the time I get down from the flybridge and get to the stern line the stern may have drifted off the dock. With the remote for the stern thruster I can easily bring the stern back to the dock. Without the remote I have to rush down the ladder and get past our Lab who always wants to be first. So I put the stern thruster in so I didn’t have to hurry because that is when bad things happen. With the thruster I can carefully climb down and handle the line.

I hadn't considered those use cases. I'm envisioning something more like:

I hope you can have a system like that KK in the future Danderer. Definitely seems nice. Not what this thread was about though.

My B & S thrusters are side power and I added the remote function end of last season. While it would be the ultimate to have shifter jog as well I think the remotes can be very useful in the right situations.
Primary situation that I was trying to accommodate was while locking. We do a lot of locking and looking at 120 + for a planned cruise this summer. There have been windy days or turbulent filling where my wife has been challenged w maintaining control of her end of the boat. I can now assist from afar to make life easier.
Docking... there have been times where I am either in a slip or alongside tie but need to get closer. It's a lot easier when we both can tend lines and I can maneuver w thrusters.
When leaving or tieing in my home slip I need to get close to an outer piling to either loop the bow /spring lines at the piling or pick them up with a boat hook. We dock E- W and the prevailing winds are S- N so trying to get the bow over and tend lines can be a challenge when doing this myself.
Only had a brief time to test above theories last season but from the brief time I think it will help a lot.
Haven't researched what a jog function would cost for main eng but if it was in the same ballpark as thruster remote I might consider it... my guess is a lot more $$$.

Bacchus said:

Primary situation that I was trying to accommodate was while locking. We do a lot of locking and looking at 120 + for a planned cruise this summer. There have been windy days or turbulent filling where my wife has been challenged w maintaining control of her end of the boat. I can now assist from afar to make life easier.

Click to expand...

..makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks.