rrees
New member
Has anyone here heard of a bow thruster fitted to an Beneteau Oceanis 351 I am looking to fit one over the winter.
What size was the tunnel etc
Thanks
What size was the tunnel etc
Thanks
Bow Thruster
- Thread starter rrees
- Start date
flaming
Well-known member
On a 35 footer!?
Strikes me as a tad unnecessary!
Strikes me as a tad unnecessary!
alan17
New member
I have one fitted on a 32 footer. Don't use it except when the situation makes it advisable in the interests of safety such as going astern to leave a finger pontton when the "cul de sac" end of the pontoon is effectively a lee shore.
FullCircle
Well-known member
I have had the job priced up by French Marine in Essex for my Jeanneau 35.
The lowest performance was a 35kgf unit, but that is borderline, so a 55kgf seems more sensible.
This uses a 150mm tube.
I already have power up front to the windlass, so would not need extra battery installation, just tee off the windlass wiring.
Units are about 800 quid, controls and wiring,tube etc about 500 quid, and then another 7-800 quid labour for installation.
To all the doubters out there: We have a twin rudder setup which means no propwash over the rudders. That means no steerage until you are well underway.
Couple that with high topsides, and sometimes (like last weekend) we couldnt get off the pontoon for over an hour, as the wind had us pinned on firmly. Bowthruster would sort this issue.
PS I know of at least one other Sun Odyssey 35 with a thruster, and I am nicking the kids dinner money to get one.
The lowest performance was a 35kgf unit, but that is borderline, so a 55kgf seems more sensible.
This uses a 150mm tube.
I already have power up front to the windlass, so would not need extra battery installation, just tee off the windlass wiring.
Units are about 800 quid, controls and wiring,tube etc about 500 quid, and then another 7-800 quid labour for installation.
To all the doubters out there: We have a twin rudder setup which means no propwash over the rudders. That means no steerage until you are well underway.
Couple that with high topsides, and sometimes (like last weekend) we couldnt get off the pontoon for over an hour, as the wind had us pinned on firmly. Bowthruster would sort this issue.
PS I know of at least one other Sun Odyssey 35 with a thruster, and I am nicking the kids dinner money to get one.
Richard10002
Well-known member
[ QUOTE ]
On a 35 footer!?
Strikes me as a tad unnecessary!
[/ QUOTE ]
There are always circumstances where it would be good to have a bowthruster, even if there are lots of things you can do without one, if you know what you are doing.
I would now tend to say if you want one, have the money, and there isnt anything more important to spend it on, get one.
On a 35 footer!?
Strikes me as a tad unnecessary!
[/ QUOTE ]
There are always circumstances where it would be good to have a bowthruster, even if there are lots of things you can do without one, if you know what you are doing.
I would now tend to say if you want one, have the money, and there isnt anything more important to spend it on, get one.
nedmin
Active member
Excellent bit of kit, most of are good enough not to need one.You dont always need gloves but sometimes its more comfortable to have a pair.
Sailfree
Well-known member
A bowthruster is a get out of jail card for some and a necessity in certain situations for many.
A Rustler 36 will not go astern under rudder control at all but is steerable astern with a bowtrhruster. I did not bother on our 38 but there were times in strong crosswinds when I wished I did have one.
We have one on our 43 and I try to practice berthing without it but I do not hesitate to use it when required.
A bowthruster also give assurance to some not so experienced and enables them to practice berthing without worrying about others pride and joy.
I do wish that every smug git on here that knows exactly what kind of superlength yacht needs a bowthruster were the ones that got hit by mere mortals struggling to berth their small boat.
A Rustler 36 will not go astern under rudder control at all but is steerable astern with a bowtrhruster. I did not bother on our 38 but there were times in strong crosswinds when I wished I did have one.
We have one on our 43 and I try to practice berthing without it but I do not hesitate to use it when required.
A bowthruster also give assurance to some not so experienced and enables them to practice berthing without worrying about others pride and joy.
I do wish that every smug git on here that knows exactly what kind of superlength yacht needs a bowthruster were the ones that got hit by mere mortals struggling to berth their small boat.
flaming
Well-known member
Practice makes perfect!
Have been walloped by a few decidedly average attempts at coming alongside. Mostly caused by far too many revs, a lack of planning and a bit of panic. I can't recall any such incident where a bow thruster would have saved them though.
I just find it an interesting aproach to a problem. "I'm struggling to berth my boat but instead of practicing or getting a day of tuition I'm going to splash out on magic bit of kit A." be it a bowthruster or one of those magic mooring hooks etc.
For way less money you could get several days of mooring tuition from an instructor in your own boat.
.........then you too can be a smug git! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Have been walloped by a few decidedly average attempts at coming alongside. Mostly caused by far too many revs, a lack of planning and a bit of panic. I can't recall any such incident where a bow thruster would have saved them though.
I just find it an interesting aproach to a problem. "I'm struggling to berth my boat but instead of practicing or getting a day of tuition I'm going to splash out on magic bit of kit A." be it a bowthruster or one of those magic mooring hooks etc.
For way less money you could get several days of mooring tuition from an instructor in your own boat.
.........then you too can be a smug git! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
LittleShip
New member
I think this comes down to
1 Are you short handed, one crew member on board.
2 The amount of windage your boat suffers.
I have always struggled mooring my boat something I didn't suffer when I had a sail boat. My big worry is not damaging mine but somebody else's pride and joy. A bow thruster would help me but only when into the pontoon to prevent being blown off.
There is no, you should or you shouldn't it's a matter of if you think you should then like all things with boats you should.
But then again I'm one of the "not so smug gits" that would love a bow thruster!
/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
1 Are you short handed, one crew member on board.
2 The amount of windage your boat suffers.
I have always struggled mooring my boat something I didn't suffer when I had a sail boat. My big worry is not damaging mine but somebody else's pride and joy. A bow thruster would help me but only when into the pontoon to prevent being blown off.
There is no, you should or you shouldn't it's a matter of if you think you should then like all things with boats you should.
But then again I'm one of the "not so smug gits" that would love a bow thruster!
/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
rrees
New member
We are based in the med and go Stern too in a lot of different Marina's / Harbours
using either our anchor or pickup lines
Sometimes we have to fit into a 10M berth leaving us less than a boat length from one side of the quay to the other, a very tight fit with loads of under water ropes all over the place.
Fine when we have 4 on board to fend off but with 2 picking up the shore lines, lazy lines and fending off all in 20Knots of cross wind can get a bit difficult.
using either our anchor or pickup lines
Sometimes we have to fit into a 10M berth leaving us less than a boat length from one side of the quay to the other, a very tight fit with loads of under water ropes all over the place.
Fine when we have 4 on board to fend off but with 2 picking up the shore lines, lazy lines and fending off all in 20Knots of cross wind can get a bit difficult.
Richard10002
Well-known member
[ QUOTE ]
Practice makes perfect!
For way less money you could get several days of mooring tuition from an instructor in your own boat.
.........then you too can be a smug git! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
There is no question that if you are good you may not need one.
I've had a day of marina handling tuition, where I learned loads and, during my YM Prep. I asked for some emphasis on marina handling and anchoring, so every spare moment in the marina, we would pop her into a berth, or down a channel with a cross wind, or whatever - so now I'm much better than I was, and I understand how things work much better than I did......
but when trying to go astern into a berth where prop walk is against you and there is a cross wind, and the channel is just longer than the boat, there is nothing like a bit of bowthruster to spin you on the spot, and put the stern in the gap, more or less .... even then it's not easy until you've had loads of experience - doesnt really matter how big or small the boat is.
You cant knock those who desire a bowthruster, but you can suggest they get some tuition on the handling of their own boat, if they havent already had some.
Practice makes perfect!
For way less money you could get several days of mooring tuition from an instructor in your own boat.
.........then you too can be a smug git! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
There is no question that if you are good you may not need one.
I've had a day of marina handling tuition, where I learned loads and, during my YM Prep. I asked for some emphasis on marina handling and anchoring, so every spare moment in the marina, we would pop her into a berth, or down a channel with a cross wind, or whatever - so now I'm much better than I was, and I understand how things work much better than I did......
but when trying to go astern into a berth where prop walk is against you and there is a cross wind, and the channel is just longer than the boat, there is nothing like a bit of bowthruster to spin you on the spot, and put the stern in the gap, more or less .... even then it's not easy until you've had loads of experience - doesnt really matter how big or small the boat is.
You cant knock those who desire a bowthruster, but you can suggest they get some tuition on the handling of their own boat, if they havent already had some.
Sailfree
Well-known member
Like many replies yours has a large element of truth.
After we got our first boat and having done dayskipper found berthing it in the cross tide at Bucklers hard and strong tide ain the Hamble very humbling. We paid for an evening of pontoon bashing but still make the odd cods of it 10 yrs later (every berthing is unique) I am still of the opinion that a bow thruster helps when you discover your perfect judgement is not perfect and especially if it prevents damage to an adjacent boat.
On balance thouggh while I would encourage everyone to practice their berthing technique I agree with the post "if you want one and can afford it - buy one!" I can assure you that as one who studies others berthing and always compares their action to what I would have done (and I have learned from that exercise as well) I have always been very grateful when someone less skilled relies on the bowthruster to berth alongside our boat.
After we got our first boat and having done dayskipper found berthing it in the cross tide at Bucklers hard and strong tide ain the Hamble very humbling. We paid for an evening of pontoon bashing but still make the odd cods of it 10 yrs later (every berthing is unique) I am still of the opinion that a bow thruster helps when you discover your perfect judgement is not perfect and especially if it prevents damage to an adjacent boat.
On balance thouggh while I would encourage everyone to practice their berthing technique I agree with the post "if you want one and can afford it - buy one!" I can assure you that as one who studies others berthing and always compares their action to what I would have done (and I have learned from that exercise as well) I have always been very grateful when someone less skilled relies on the bowthruster to berth alongside our boat.
Auspicious
New member
I like feeling competent putting my boat where I want it to be. I have sailed boats with and without bow thrusters, and certainly enjoy the ease of positioning a thruster provides. I do remember from Fluid Dynamics in school the magnitude of resistance from flow across and open space (thruster tunnel mouth). It's huge. When I specified my HR 40 (if I remember correctly the only one as of its build without a thruster) I chose not to have one in order to get that bit of extra boat speed.
Darn racers -- can't even let up on a cruising boat! <grin>
No judgment intended. If there is a thruster on a boat I'm sailing I'll use it, but for my own, I chose that little bit of extra speed. Besides, practicing boat handling is *fun*.
Darn racers -- can't even let up on a cruising boat! <grin>
No judgment intended. If there is a thruster on a boat I'm sailing I'll use it, but for my own, I chose that little bit of extra speed. Besides, practicing boat handling is *fun*.
eidiohir
Well-known member
When I got my boat (colvic watson 34) I would have sold the kids for a bow thruster but with the laws the way they are I had to make do.I promised myself that as soon as the repayments came to a point where I could bump up the loan again I would get the cash to install a big one.However maybe I got a bit better at handling her or I have become so old that I don't give a dam about people seeing me make a mess of things but I don't yearn for one now.My dreams are filled with new sails ,a furling system for the main,new bunks,etc. and etc...but if you want one why not? sailing is a fantastic method of making sure that no one fights over the money you leave behind because its all gone on "the boat " good luck
