Bow and / or Stern Thrusters?

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

Ted

It looks like 100% of us have bow thrusters!

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

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

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

O C Diver said:

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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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

This new boat had pods so I'm told thrusters are necessary. Nope, it would be nice to have them too.

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

Single screw boat, single speed bow thruster. No stern thruster. Happy with the arrangement.

Lou_tribal said:

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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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.

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?

dhmeissner said:

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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Yes - but that's where you do > 98% of the damage

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....

Britannia said:

Yes - but that's where you do > 98% of the damage

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Haha, point taken!

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.

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.

None, but close to adding a bowthruster to complement the twins, for our dock and the prevailing wind.

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.

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.

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.

No thrusters, and not sure the expense is worth it . I just try and improve my berthing skills all the time. I believe once you understand the characteristics of how your vessel responds in different conditions you can with confidence place any where. We have twin engines with a bit of HP 540 aside so she responds quickly . We have electronic controls and a 5 metre cord remote, so I reverse the vessel easily into the berth from the back deck . I find reversing I have far greater control as the vessel pivots well on the props. I find the bow always follows !!! As long as we have reasonably parralel to the finger

Cheers Chris D

Single eng in a tunnel so little prop walk + small rudder
Boat came w 1 speed bow & stern and I use and like them for docking & locking.
I can pulse them and having both adds some comfort if one decides to go "Lucille"
I looked for a bow T and didn't consider a stern T a must but our choice already had both.

Proportional controlled hydraulic bow and stern thrusters. Only really needed them a couple of times.

Hydraulic stern thruster which is variable speed with engine rpm.
I use it often

12 v bow thruster, single engine tunnel, use it all the time when docking, coming and going. I do need to practice without it just in case it fails one day. I like the fact that I can do doughnuts with it. Brother has a 33' Tiara with twins and gives me a hard time about using it all the time. I think he is a thruster luster?

This is our first power boat ( with twins btw ) and my handling experience is very limited for now ... I'm thinking that it's easier to get the bow into position and it's the stern that always gave me problems. I have no intention of cutting into the boat not to mention the length of the power cable run or separate batteries etc. etc. ..so bow thrusters are out for now. This year before launch, I will hang a stern thruster below the swim platform and see how it goes ...... FB

Bow & Stern, single speed on a single engine boat.

As mentioned previously--turned on before any close quarter maneuvering and pulsed to insure working.

I try to not use them just so I can pat myself on the back but jump on them immediately to prevent damage to property and ego.

Simi 60 said:

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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Have you found that the nozzle increases turn radius or reduces maneuverability in some way?

Jetstream said:

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.

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I couldn't agree more! Although I can park my boat with just the shifters, a thruster sure covers up those times of bad judgement.

Hasn't this been covered dozens of times here?