Bow Thruster

[purplerobbie]

After having quite a successful week managing to get my windlass, waterpump, autohelm and bow thruster working with various sizes of hammer.

The bow thruster only worked in one direction and now that it works in both directions there is a lot of vibration one way but not the other?

Is it that the prop on it will be more efficient one way than the other or could it be something has grown on it?
Or is it just plain knackard?

The way it didnt work is the way with more vibration

Rob

 

[Boathook]

It shouldn't vibrate in any direction. Sounds like a need for a closer look, especially at the bearings. If you turn it by hand and load it in either direction by pushing and pulling on the prop you may feel something different on the internals.

 

[Norman_E]

I presume the boat is in the water, as you should not be running it otherwise. You need to check it when it is out of the water. The props on most thrusters are plastic and do tend to get chipped and out of balance. The props also tend to cavitate, one way can be worse than the other if yours is the single prop type. For Vetus thrusters you can now get a six blade prop which is said to reduce cavitation. I have yet to fit mine however.

 

[hectou]

Keep that hammer handy. A barnacle in the wrong place can ruin bowthruster performance.

 

[purplerobbie]

Hi
Yes it is in the water.
It does feel more like cavitation than anything else
But it is quite bad one way and there is nothing the other?
If it was the prop or gearbox it would do it both ways?
as it reverses by switching the motor?

Rob