Thrusters Not needed??

[Capt Ray]

1. We have a Mainship 390, single screw, and it's rudder is honestly not very responsive. Going through a narrow bridge with any significant current running is a bit hairy, for example. SO, the bow thruster we have is essential, IMO. With my single screw and a bow thruster, I can back this boat in anywhere in *most* all conditions (wind/current).

2. Previous boat was a 30 express cruiser with a single sterndrive. No thruster, and because I could change the direction of its thrust (fwd+rev), we were perfectly happy without a thruster.

3. A dock mate / friend of ours had a 35 ft express cruiser with twin sterndrives. About 9 years ago he had a bow thruster professionally installed (+/-$8000) for a boat that was new-to-him. About a year later he admitted he was not using the bow thruster because he figured out how to do everything with his twins.

4. I grew up on sailboats including a 31 foot Seafarer. Sailboats by comparison are VERY responsive, and can turn on a dime (so long as one is making headway), in my experience. (They have larger rudders). But they don't back up very well (at all) depending upon type of keel.
So, I can see a bow thruster on a sailboat having some value (though it adds some drag that hurts you when sailing).

5. I have no personal experience with TWINs, but I figure with a few weeks of experience I'd be able to master them without having a thruster.

Someday maybe I'll find out first hand!!! LOL

Bottom line, is different boats are different, and some boats really need a bow thruster.

 

[rslifkin]

4. I grew up on sailboats including a 31 foot Seafarer. Sailboats by comparison are VERY responsive, and can turn on a dime, in my experience (larger rudders). But they don't back up very well (at all). So, I can see a bow thruster on a sailboat having some value (though it adds some drag).

That depends on the sailboat. Some are pretty terrible to maneuver in reverse, but others will turn on a dime in reverse as long as you're not moving too slowly.

 

[Moonfish]

Having an ambidextrous boat is sure nice. Peter

THAT is a good one. I'm going to use that line someday... :lol:

 

[Bellakins]

We love our thrusters. When we bought our boat, a Heritage East 36, it had a bow thruster. Then friends bought the same model boat and theirs had both bow and stern thrusters. After helping them bring the boat home from FL to NC, my husband decided he wanted a stern thruster. We added on to our boat shortly after that. Sure helps in docking situations. There are places on the ICW where you are docked stern to bow along a face dock. With both thrusters, we can just push off sideways and go, no having to wait for the boat before or after you to leave so you've got maneuvering room.

 

[PhilPB]

Are thrusters required? NO
Are thrusters good to have? YES for me, but not for everyone
Are thrusters expensive? I think so, but worth it for me


When I bought the current boat it didn't have thrusters. The previous owners for more than 30 years chose not to have them. When I bought the boat I knew I would have a bow thruster intalled and knew the cost. I paid a fair market price for the boat and after getting it home I had it hauled a few months later and had the bow thruster installed, had the decks on up painted with awlgrip and ended up with new driveshaft, bearings (midshaft and cutlass), rudder removed and reconditioned, prop checked, etc. I ended up replacing the freshwater system including Raritan ME as well as new teak and upgraded the interior among other things. I have spent additionally much more than double the initial cost of the boat in upgrades alone, all of my choice.

 

[Harry47]

Having many years of experience in a cruising sailboat, moving to a mainship 49 was different. Fly bridge with canvas made the boat handle like a sailboat without a keel. The addition of a thruster was a great investment. I only have great things to say about Florida Thrusters.

 

[ABfish]

They might have told you to wait for slack tidal current. The tidal current from Fort Pierce inlet (about 1 mile from there) rips through the marina. Piece of cake at slack current.

Ted

I arrived at Fort Pierce last summer with one operating engine and bow and stern thrusters. Waited on slack tide; I had been there on a friend's boat and witnessed the current for myself. Not going to take a chance with only one engine.

Maneuvering to the slip, I lost most of the stern thruster as it was powered from the start batteries of the non-running engine. This was an operator error; I was new to the boat and thought the thrusters ran off the house batteries. Wouldn't have leaned on it so hard otherwise.

So I ended up backing into the slip with one engine and the bow thruster. Would have been very difficult without the bow thruster.

So that's another case for thrusters, even with twin engines.

 

[Hippocampus]

Have a single engine NT42 with both bow and stern thrusters. Had prior understanding of prop walk and backing up full keel sailboats. Also back and fill. However my current boat needs much more room to back/fill to port then to starboard. With high aspect fin keel sailboats turning radius is smaller. So the power boat is different. More lateral plane above the water line and unlike sailboats it much further forward. Lateral plane below the waterline is aft whereas with fin keels they pivot on their keels. Different and in some respects harder to predict and harder to maneuver in tight quarters.
Folks say they learn to maneuver their boats without benefit of thrusters. But what do you do until you learn those skills? Only come in or go out in the absence of current or wind? Play bumper cars with an open wallet? Be so stressed boating is no fun? I’m slowly getting it and using the thrusters less. But I sure still use them. I had a one off OSTAR racer for awhile. Of course it had no thrusters just about as big as the NT. Did fine but it wasn’t used like the powerboat. Rarely went to a fuel dock. Was kept on a mooring not in a slip. I remain a power newbie and believe it’s years before I’ll be totaling comfortable not having thrusters. We did lose our bow thruster topping off before leaving Hilton head going to RI. Did Ok before it was replaced. But sure missed it.