Bow thruster - won't stop!

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Solent Sailor

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Having sat idle, I gave the thrusters a spin today to check them before venturing forth. I was glad I did, as the bow thruster wouldn't stop once started! It was the same with the joystick as with the remote. No reluctance to spin, or even change direction, but once its started whirring, it isn't stopping without the breaker being pushed in!

I'm guessing that it is a dirty solenoid, and plan to strip it tomorrow, but any else had this issue and found the cause?

I'm a bit disappointed to be having to do this because they are not even 2 years old and have been kept nice and dry. It is a Sleipner/Side Power SE 100/185.

Thanks.
 
Well it could be the joy stick , so disconnect the solenoid switch wire En switch on if it goes then it’s the solenoid if not joystick or remote relay.
 
I had similar on a sealine s34, it was the joystick at fault.

As an aside have you ever tried to bring a boat onto a med style berth with the bow thruster running full left? It's challenging....
 
Run a volt meter over the contacts when it's running and see where it's stuck. It's likely to be either the feed into the solenoid, ie joystick, or the feed out of it, ie solenoid jammed on.
 
I had a similar thing with my stern thruster last year on my SQ58, despite having checked operation not minutes before pulling onto a fuel dock in Palma, It was proper blowing so wanted them ready, in the interim i’d switched them off (or they auto went off, think it’s got that after 5mins of no activity or so?) while I manoeuvred up behind a departing boat, as I got nearer I depressed the double switches below the joystick to power up, unbeknown to me (as I couldn’t hear with the wind) the stern jumped straight to full power to port without even touching the joystick and consequently sent the port side corner of the bathing platform crashing into the concrete dock, crunch the damage was done, I tried to compensate en route to the final crunch to no avail so hit the double power buttons to switch off!

After much debate and having filled up we ventured off to the middle of the channel to simulate the problem again, within seconds there we were pirouetting to port around the bow!

I haven’t had chance to tend to the problem yet as it was the last run of the season so will start checking solenoids etc as suggested when we get back out to Spain, I’ll be interested to hear how you get on.
 
All sorted, couldn't get solenoid pack apart without damaging the screwheads and didn't have any removers with me, so left it attached and sprayed contact cleaner into the gaps available. Let it settle for a while and it is now working fine again. Will monitor and probably obtain a spare solenoid set for spare (£400 from SidePower, c. £120 from OEM - just need to find the right one!).

First trip out yesterday post-lockdown - all running well, but speed and revs down due to the growth on the hull, despite it being scrubbed at the end of March. Time for a lift out and also found a small coolant leak to sort out! Why is there always something?
 
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