Bow thruster on a Sealine S23

[blues-n-twos]

Hi all,

I am upgrading my boat hopefully very soon to a Sealine S23. I am off to view one tomorrow but there is another in Cornwall that has recently had a bow thruster fitted which I know is not a cheap option to retro fit.

So my question is would it be a huge benefit on a Sealine S23 (25ft) on the Thames or will coming from and outboard driven 18 foot Shetland Family 4 be a smooth transition?

I see the benefit especially when berthing at the marina in tight manoeuvring spaces but these boats are not fitted with bow thrusters as standard.

Any opinions welcomed :encouragement:

Jon

 

[CX54WEK]

We have had our S23 for 8 years now and have never seen the need for a bow thruster on it.

We use it inland as well as on the coast and have found that with practice we can put it where we want and predict where the bow is going to go and use this to our advantage.

 

[blues-n-twos]

We have had our S23 for 8 years now and have never seen the need for a bow thruster on it.

We use it inland as well as on the coast and have found that with practice we can put it where we want and predict where the bow is going to go and use this to our advantage.

That's good to hear and thanks for the reply. The one I'm viewing tomorrow has just been serviced, outdrive and engine as well as new anodes and fresh antifoul. Fully valeted and machine polished with a 3 month engine warranty.

Any tips on weak points and any specific areas I should pay particular attention to?

It's currently on the hard standing so I will be able to get under it and it is hooked up to shore power to check all the electrics and trim tab motors etc.

Jon

 

[CX54WEK]

Make sure you get an independent survey carried out, not one by the brokers tame surveyor.

The S23 can suffer from the inner liners coming adrift which can cause stress cracking in the hull.

Check for general cracking in the gel coat which will tell you how the boat has been used.

 

[blues-n-twos]

Make sure you get an independent survey carried out, not one by the brokers tame surveyor.

The S23 can suffer from the inner liners coming adrift which can cause stress cracking in the hull.

Check for general cracking in the gel coat which will tell you how the boat has been used.

Good advice and thank you.

I will update how I get on tomorrow.

Jon

 

[CLB]

All things being equal, why not get the one with the big thruster? Yes you can learn to drive the boat without it, but once you have had one you realise that out can learn to do even more, or learn to do the same things easier.

 

[CX54WEK]

Having seen some people's efforts with bow thrusters I'm not convinced they make things any easier

Relying on a bow thruster is all well and good until it breaks. Far better to learn how to handle the boat without and not need it IMO.

 

[Chill]

Would go for the one with the BT will help you if it's windy and will be easier to sell than one without! You can also add a wireless remote which makes cruising solo a doddle.

 

[blues-n-twos]

For me it's a balance on finances and distances to view. The one in Cornwall with the BTis a six hour drive away and its £2.5k more on the asking price plus engine out drive and antifoul last done over 2 years ago.

The 25kgf vetes is £700 to buy new so the cost of fitting will fall within the price difference but then I will need to put £1k into it to have all the servicing done.

The one I'm viewing tomorrow is a fresh water boat and engine and engine bay look brand new plus everything has been done so it's a turn key boat.

Nothing better than reversing in to your berth perfectly with a cross wind and just judgement and boat handling to thank.

However.... I have also made a pigs ear of it more times than I wish to remember ;

Jon

 

[Lower Limit 1909]

I have a BT on my 25ft boat. (Single prop inboard). I'm often on the Tidal Thames in all tide states. I only occasionally use it but I'm normally really glad I have it when I do use it so I wouldn't be without it. Here are the circumstances from the last month or so when I've been really glad I had it.

- Dropping-off and picking-up passengers on a pontoon with no mooring attachments during an ebb tide. (safety)
- Wanting/needing to make a 180 degree turn against the prop walk with kayakers and hire boats arriving rapidly on random sides of the river. (safety (theirs) and convenience (mine))
- Holding position while I took video of some ducklings. (convenience)
- Going to the aid of a solo canoeist who had capsized and got stuck in shallow water. (safety)
- Mooring up single-handed in an ebb (just made life easier and a probably safer).

I probably used it a few more times just to save my gearbox a bit from all the 'back and forth' and to make life easier even if I could have accomplished the same manoeuvre without it.

"my question is would it be a huge benefit on a Sealine S23 (25ft) on the Thames or will coming from and outboard driven 18 foot Shetland Family 4 be a smooth transition?"

"Huge benefit"? Depends on your river and boat usage. See circumstances above ...

"Smooth transition". Almost certainly not. There is a significant but perfectly manageable and rewarding learning curve to be gone through with that transition. With a BT however you will have the confidence to control the boat knowing that you have it available if needed and in certain circumstance be able to do things you couldn't do (or do as safely) without it.

 

[CX54WEK]

Would go for the one with the BT will help you if it's windy and will be easier to sell than one without! You can also add a wireless remote which makes cruising solo a doddle.

Oddly enough if you look at the S23's for sale at the moment having a bow thruster seems to make bugger all difference in the price.

Same goes for other items such as heating, etc.

Personally I would buy the boat based on it's condition and service history rather than whether it has a bow thruster or not. S23's are a handlable boat without a bow thruster.

 

[CX54WEK]

For me it's a balance on finances and distances to view. The one in Cornwall with the BTis a six hour drive away and its £2.5k more on the asking price plus engine out drive and antifoul last done over 2 years ago.

The 25kgf vetes is £700 to buy new so the cost of fitting will fall within the price difference but then I will need to put £1k into it to have all the servicing done.

The one I'm viewing tomorrow is a fresh water boat and engine and engine bay look brand new plus everything has been done so it's a turn key boat.

Nothing better than reversing in to your berth perfectly with a cross wind and just judgement and boat handling to thank.

However.... I have also made a pigs ear of it more times than I wish to remember ;

Jon

We bought our S23 as a stock boat from Burton Waters. It was nice to just take the keys and go rather then having to mess about servicing and valeting a brokerage boat.

 

[blues-n-twos]

We bought our S23 as a stock boat from Burton Waters. It was nice to just take the keys and go rather then having to mess about servicing and valeting a brokerage boat.

That's where I'm off to today :encouragement: Burton Waters Ipswich. I'm viewing a stock boat that was traded in at their Lincoln branch as owner bought a bigger boat. They did all the prep and servicing and it was moved down to Ipswich for sale.

Best get ready and head off

Jon

 

[CLB]

Well I did say "all things being equal". In this case they are not and the price difference and location would mean I would probably go for the non BT example too.

This topic comes up often and is usually full of people without bow thrusters saying how you don't need one and should learn to drive the boat without. I agree, you should know how to drive the boat without, but once you have had one you realise how much easier it makes things. Plus they give you an extra dimension to your boat handling that cannot be replicated without a BT. So again I would say, all things being equal a bow thruster boat is a better buy.

 

[apollo]

an extra dimension to your boat handling that cannot be replicated without a BT. .

 

[No Regrets]

Apart from the Sealine being a pretty lousy choice for the Upper Thames, a Bowthruster will do nothing against the wind at every lock on a blowy day. We started up in a similar sized sport cruiser, and replaced it with an old Birchwood 25 which had far more space, steering sense, stability and river-worthiness. It was a far far better boat for the Thames.

I would not go back....

 

[CLB]

Well I'm not going to get into a willy waving competition with you but I speak from experience of having owned and driven boats with just about all configurations of drive systems both with and without a BT over the last few decades, as well as helming boats professionally, but you feel free to continue to believe what you want.

 

[CX54WEK]

That's where I'm off to today :encouragement: Burton Waters Ipswich. I'm viewing a stock boat that was traded in at their Lincoln branch as owner bought a bigger boat. They did all the prep and servicing and it was moved down to Ipswich for sale.

Best get ready and head off

Jon

We know that boat well. It was our friends boat Mary Joyce.

It is in good nick and lightly used.

 

[CX54WEK]

Apart from the Sealine being a pretty lousy choice for the Upper Thames, a Bowthruster will do nothing against the wind at every lock on a blowy day. We started up in a similar sized sport cruiser, and replaced it with an old Birchwood 25 which had far more space, steering sense, stability and river-worthiness. It was a far far better boat for the Thames.

I would not go back....

Why lousy?

Ours handles the river just fine yet also has the capability to head out to sea for the five weeks a year we get off work.

 

[CX54WEK]

Well I did say "all things being equal". In this case they are not and the price difference and location would mean I would probably go for the non BT example too.

This topic comes up often and is usually full of people without bow thrusters saying how you don't need one and should learn to drive the boat without. I agree, you should know how to drive the boat without, but once you have had one you realise how much easier it makes things. Plus they give you an extra dimension to your boat handling that cannot be replicated without a BT. So again I would say, all things being equal a bow thruster boat is a better buy.

Having seen people who have fitted bow thrusters expecting them to suddenly make them master boat handlers, they are often very disappointed when they still can't handle the boat.

A bow thruster is not magic. You still have to know what you are doing.