View Poll Results: Bow and / or stern thrusters?
No thrusters 36 33.03%
Bow thruster 29 26.61%
Bow thruster variable speed 2 1.83%
Stern thruster 7 6.42%
Stern thruster variable speed 1 0.92%
Bow and stern thruster 25 22.94%
Bow and stern thruster variable speed 4 3.67%
I have thruster Lust 5 4.59%
Voters: 109. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 03-27-2017, 08:48 AM   #1
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Bow and / or Stern Thrusters?

Do you have a bow and / or a stern thruster on your boat? Are they variable speed?

Ted
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Old 03-27-2017, 09:02 AM   #2
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It looks like 100% of us have bow thrusters!
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Old 03-27-2017, 09:16 AM   #3
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Hydraulic bow thruster two speed. Yes, that's two speeds in each direction - not counting each direction as a speed!

It's been misbehaving for over a year now and I haven't found a hydraulics guy to fix it. As a result I'm running my single prop boat without it.

Richard
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Old 03-27-2017, 09:21 AM   #4
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This boat will be our first with thrusters!
Bow and stern please...
When we saw all of that windage we felt that even if we were very, very good boat handlers, the thrusters would be great to have at times.
Bruce
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Old 03-27-2017, 09:30 AM   #5
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When I got my boat, I named the bow thruster Lucille. From the Kenny Rogers song, "You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille......". Got really good at docking without it......not by choice. Reworked it during my refit, but still have an inherent distrust for it. Try to avoid getting into situations where I'm dependent on it.

Ted
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Old 03-27-2017, 09:36 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by O C Diver View Post
When I got my boat, I named the bow thruster Lucille. From the Kenny Rogers song, "You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille......". Got really good at docking without it......not by choice. Reworked it during my refit, but still have an inherent distrust for it. Try to avoid getting into situations where I'm dependent on it.

Ted
I just snorted coffee through my nose reading that!
I'm guessing that we will be out there practicing as soon as we get the boat.
Thanks,
Bruce
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Old 03-27-2017, 08:20 PM   #7
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This new boat had pods so I'm told thrusters are necessary. Nope, it would be nice to have them too.
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Old 03-27-2017, 08:32 PM   #8
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I have bow thruster but barely use it. I try to improve my handling skills as much as possible and keep the thruster for emergency when I am screwing up. During one season as green wood I used it less than 10 times and hopefully will not need to one day as it would mean my skills improved
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Old 03-27-2017, 08:51 PM   #9
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Single screw boat, single speed bow thruster. No stern thruster. Happy with the arrangement.
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Old 03-27-2017, 09:32 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lou_tribal View Post
I have bow thruster but barely use it. I try to improve my handling skills as much as possible and keep the thruster for emergency when I am screwing up. During one season as green wood I used it less than 10 times and hopefully will not need to one day as it would mean my skills improved


I power up my thrusters before leaving or coming into a dock. I also pulse them to ensure they work. Then I do my best to not use them. However, I am very happy to use them if they provide a convenience.
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Old 03-27-2017, 09:57 PM   #11
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I don't have any thrusters. I'd like a bow thruster, but not sure its worth it. I mean you only need it while docking, which is what <2% of the time spent boating?
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Old 03-27-2017, 10:08 PM   #12
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Quote:
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I don't have any thrusters. I'd like a bow thruster, but not sure its worth it. I mean you only need it while docking, which is what <2% of the time spent boating?
Yes - but that's where you do > 98% of the damage
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Old 03-27-2017, 10:14 PM   #13
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The poll didn't mention if you HAVE or WANTED bow or stern thrusters. And the poll didn't qualify single engine or twin engine operation. Huge differences.

I could always argue for a bow thruster, no matter what you have. Very helpful, but not a solution for everything.

If you're a single, a bow and stern are very nice. Again, not a solution for everything, but a HUGE benefit.

It all depends....
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Old 03-27-2017, 11:02 PM   #14
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Yes - but that's where you do > 98% of the damage
Haha, point taken!
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Old 03-28-2017, 12:27 AM   #15
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Single-speed Sidepower bow thuster. Contemplating adding a stern thruster and converting to variable-speed as we get older to allow the Admiral to open the boarding door and step over the steel-tube bull rail on the Customs dock at Friday Harbor. No cleats means no spring lines.
Then again, Nexus/SVRS would be cheaper.
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Old 03-28-2017, 12:44 AM   #16
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1 boat 82' with bow and stern, hydraulic, single speed.

Rarely use the bow thruster.

Never use the stern thruster for docking.

The other boat 50'. No thrusters. Don't need them.
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Old 03-28-2017, 01:39 AM   #17
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None, but close to adding a bowthruster to complement the twins, for our dock and the prevailing wind.
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Old 03-28-2017, 02:14 AM   #18
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Only bow thruster at present. At 8HP it was the largest 12V Lewmar model. But its too small when you really need it, with cross winds.

Docking in the river is tricky, and I invariably time arrival and departure for slack tide. I am typically solo, and not keen on hopping onto the finger to secure docklines when the current can move the boat away from me.

I need to go along a relatively narrow fairway across the current, then make a 90° turn to my berth. Ideally I would have a stern thruster and simply use the thrusters to move sideways along the fairway while keeping bow aligned with the current. I might yet install hydraulic bow and stern thrusters. But I would still have the current issue. So I need a joystick control as well, which would need new transmissions.... Or continue as is, always knowing when slack water is, and spent as much of the year as I can cruising.
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Old 03-28-2017, 02:34 AM   #19
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We have bow and stern thrusters and use them often for a number of reasons. I agree that one should be able to manuver without them and can but they make it so much easier in a breeze if you have a lot of windage. Using them frequently will also help keep them clean.

I have found only those without them will tell you they are not worth while.
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Old 03-28-2017, 03:57 AM   #20
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No thrusters on ours and no steerage or prop walk in reverse due to a Kortz nozzle.
We do get instant rudder response in fwd due to the Kortz nozzle.
I would like a stern thruster to shift the bum around and no need to chop a hole through hull planking to do it.
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