Bow thruster vs Stern thruster

[OldDan1943]

I am fortunate in that the AT comes with a bow and stern thruster but......
learn which way your stern 'casts' backing down and take advantage of it.
No one said you have to dock perfectly at first go. Back out and aim better.
Also, learn to use spring lines. Spring line will really help with a single screw boat.

[Nightsky]

"Bow thruster vs Stern thruster" as in you can only pick one? Bow thruster, for sure.

[jleonard]

Originally Posted by Shrew

Honestly, I've heard of bow thruster only OR Bow and Stern thrusters. I've never seen or heard of stern thruster only. I can't even imagine this being very effective. I have a bow thruster on my single inboard. I'd love to have a stern thruster as well. Over time, I've learned to live without a stern thruster and there are now only a few rare instances where I find it is almost necessary.

.

I also have a hydraulic stern thruster only. It IS effective. I can put the boat anywhere I need to.
Is a bow thruster more effective? I used to think so but now I'm not so sure.
I see you are out of Westerly, I am out of Mystic. Next summer when you see "Attitude Adjustment" anchored up at Napatree, come on over and I'll demo.

My ex boat was a single screw old Mainship model 1. I ran it for 14 years with no thruster. It was no big deal, but it would have made some situations easier.

[markpierce]

With a bow thruster and a keel deepest at the stern, my boat (single-engine, bow thruster) can rotate in-place.

[dhays]

Until this thread I was not aware of anyone that had a stern thruster only.

I have both on my boat and like them. The Bow thruster is much more useful to me than the stern as I can move the stern with throttle and rudder.

[jclays]

Thanks for the input. I currently own a twin screw boat and am looking at trawlers prior to my retirement after next year. I've encountered some nice boats however being single screw scared me off until I started thinking of thrusters. Twins I'm not not worried. I can almost walk my boat with the throttle controls.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by jleonard

I also have a hydraulic stern thruster only. It IS effective. I can put the boat anywhere I need to.
Is a bow thruster more effective? I used to think so but now I'm not so sure.
I see you are out of Westerly, I am out of Mystic. Next summer when you see "Attitude Adjustment" anchored up at Napatree, come on over and I'll demo.

Interesting question. I have no idea which is more effective. I suppose you'd have to try each to find out. The problem is, I think you'd really need to run each for a while to really get each dialed in.

We're at Napatree almost every weekend. Now you're never going to get rid of us.

[gaston]

Its very hard to argue both is the best

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by gaston

Its very hard to argue both is the best

Unnecessary systems cost and are one thing more to go wrong.

[BruceK]

As someone who has neither but lusts after bowthrusters, I`d say it depends on whether you have twins or single (hey, we could discuss that too!). With twins you can move the stern either way, a bowthruster complements that. With a single, thrusters both ends would be good.
2 contributors have hydraulic thrusters. Do you mean water jet type, or hydraulic driven? I`d like to know more, the install would be a lot simpler. Maybe needs a new thread.

[jleonard]

Originally Posted by shrew

we're at napatree almost every weekend. Now you're never going to get rid of us.

lol

[jleonard]

Originally Posted by BruceK

A2 contributors have hydraulic thrusters. Do you mean water jet type, or hydraulic driven? I`d like to know more, the install would be a lot simpler. Maybe needs a new thread.

I have a Dickson thruster. You can Google them for info.
Basically I have a hydraulic pump run off the Lehman via a bolt on double pulley on the harmonic balancer. Pump has a magnetic clutch like an automotive AC compressor. The prop is on a hydraulic motor bolted to the stern via an "L" bracket just above the bottom. The toggle switch panel at each helm can direct the flow of the motor to go left or right.
It was on the boat when I bought it so I cannot attest to installation difficulty. What's nice is it can stay engaged for a very long time where an electric thruster would wear down the battery.

[OldDan1943]

Originally Posted by jleonard

I have a Dickson thruster. You can Google them for info.
What's nice is it can stay engaged for a very long time where an electric thruster would wear down the battery.

Yup, found out the hard way. The bow thruster is on the start battery. Drop the voltage too much and the Cummins shuts down. Upon investigation, the start battery needed to be replaced. I added a 3rd house battery and I am investigating moving the bow thruster from the start battery to the house battery. Gotta keep the main engine running at all cost.

[dhays]

Originally Posted by OldDan1943

Yup, found out the hard way. The bow thruster is on the start battery. Drop the voltage too much and the Cummins shuts down. Upon investigation, the start battery needed to be replaced. I added a 3rd house battery and I am investigating moving the bow thruster from the start battery to the house battery. Gotta keep the main engine running at all cost.

I have a separate bank just for my thrusters and windlass. I seriously considered combining it with my new house bank, but decided against it since the thruster bank was still in good shape and I didn't want to mix old vs new, and two different makes of batteries.

Still, I think putting the thrusters on the house bank makes more sense than the start battery.

[FlyWright]

Originally Posted by Irish Rover

This is an interesting subject and I'm keen to hear the opinions of more experienced members. It's a bit off putting [especially for new posters] to be told go search the forum when they start a new thread. If you've heard it all before then skip the thread and let others get the benefit of the experience of those who are happy to share.

Originally Posted by jclays

Thanks..My thoughts exactly.

Look at it this way...

Over the years, many topics have been discussed and some excellent advice has been dispersed. Much of that advice has come from the more experienced members whose advice you seek. There is no way all those who replied before can do it all again.

Not all prior discussions will cover your questions today, so many feel it's better to resurrect a prior thread on a topic to retain that knowledge base and to expand it with today's posts.

Sometimes linking those older threads in the new, related thread keeps the information flowing to those who need it....like this...

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s...ster-7968.html

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s...ers-10086.html

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s...2-a-29697.html

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s...ers-31097.html

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s...ster-6204.html

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s...ers-19804.html

Cheers!

[Comodave]

I installed a stern thruster on my twin engine last winter. Love it. I would have to loose my main water tank to install a bow thruster. I put the stern thruster in becuse my wife handles the bow and I run the boat from the flybridge. I can bring the boat to the dock no problem. The problem is that by the time I get down from the bridge to handle the stern line, the boat has blown off the dock. Now with the stern thruster, I have a wireless remote control so I can bring the stern back up to the dock without any problems. Do I have to have a stern thruster, no but it makes it easier and I wanted it. As we get older, thrusters make life easier and if it can extend our boating life further into old age, so be it.

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by Comodave

... I put the stern thruster in becuse my wife handles the bow and I run the boat from the flybridge. I can bring the boat to the dock no problem. The problem is that by the time I get down from the bridge to handle the stern line, the boat has blown off the dock. Now with the stern thruster, I have a wireless remote control so I can bring the stern back up to the dock without any problems. Do I have to have a stern thruster, no but it makes it easier and I wanted it. As we get older, thrusters make life easier and if it can extend our boating life further into old age, so be it.

That's one solution for not having/using immediate deck access from the helm position.

[gaston]

Originally Posted by markpierce

Unnecessary systems cost and are one thing more to go wrong.

Sails are totally unnecessary and a distraction on a trawler and another thing to worry about but you may need them if your down on HP

[caltexflanc]

I can bring the boat to the dock no problem. The problem is that by the time I get down from the bridge to handle the stern line, the boat has blown off the dock.

Is there some reason a spring line isn't in place at that point? We always make a point of getting that on first, then the boat can be held onto the dock via idle power and rudder. Even super- klutzy me could single hand our 56' Hatteras using that technique.

[Nomad Willy]

Gaston,
Mark’s got plenty of hp and in every picture I’ve seen of his boat underway it looks like he’s got too much power.

More power to Mark though as he brings us back to earth frequently.