Bow thrusters.

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Why do people have a bow thruster when they have twin screws? Are they completely incompetant?
 
Now that's a question if ever I heard one - I heard the gauntlet being thrown down.

But before I answer, perhaps you could answer the following to show what your own experience is?

Do you drive a boat with twin screws? If so, are they duo-props? What type of hull? And what length? And do you ever have to moor in windy conditions?

Piers du Pre
MBM Cruising Club enthusiast
www.dupre.co.uk
 
Yes, I am. Even with twin screws and bow thrusters I manage to mess up most manoevers - but sometimes they save the boat next to me.
 
Beats me, some Twimbles have twin screws, bow & stern thrusters several crew and still can't come alongside even when being blown on.

ô¿ô
 
Well hallo sailor. I'll try and put this in simple terms so you can understand. Unlike sail boats which have a large lump of something underneath which keeps them steady in the water and little up top (just like sailors really), motorboats tend to have no lump underneath them and a lot up top which means that when they are stationary in the water in a beam wind, they tend to go sideways rather fast.
Now you can have single screws, twin screws or as many screws as you like but the inalienable fact is that all these screws come out somewhere near the back of the boat. So, whilst you can control the back of the boat with your screws, the front tends to go wherever the wind blows it.
So, my little rag and sticky friend, give thanks for the bowthruster for it is often this humble object that stops your sail boat from crushed against the quay wall by the gin palace that rafts up next to you
 
But with twin screws its' sailing on a six pence now 65 foot or over it may be a help. But with twin scews you can put it exactly where you want to the inch or two.
No problem on a six pence. just need the right crew and captain.

Haydn
 
I have twin screws on my 57' 48 ton motor sailer. fairly long keel, single midships rudder. If the wind catches your bow when you are going astern into a berth, say in the med, you will wish you had a bow thruster! I am not incompetent by any means! I admit my bow is fairly high! Warps are very useful for helping, but only when you have something to make them fast to on the shore! Twin rudders in the propwash would help a great deal, tide and current also help, but I have none of those things. Positioning the bow before hand also helps, but not if it gusts! My boat could never have a bow thruster, you would need some cornish tin miners to put a hole through my bows and I'm not prepared to take away the strength where I might need it, floating containers etc. But if I could I would!
 
Re: Who needs them?

I have two screws (one of them loose some would say) but a total absence in the thrusting department. I guess that a bow thruster makes things easier but I seem to do ok without.

I suspect that they are becoming more popular due to the ever increasing amount of first timers buying ever larger craft as a first boat. Without having come up through the ranks as it were, they perhaps lack the skill and confidence to park their £1/2 Million willy extension next to a stone quay without a noise like a washing machine full of nails coming from the pointy end.

As with so many gadgets on cars, they will become the norm that we wonder how we ever did without. Like central locking, abs, injection, electric windows, aircon, airbags etc.

Bah Humbug.

Dave S
 
So not having a bow thruster makes one a better skipper eh??? Don't think so, I would use anything to make manoeuvring my boat easier (by the way I don't have a bow thruster) So lets do away with power steering as well then cause that can only make moving your boat easier??? And fenders who needs them then, only used by wooses, lets just park grp to grp or grp to pontoon.
And what about all those sail boats that have electric winches for the sails and auto tillers (whatever that is) only used by poofs???

And engines, who needs bloody engines???? a couple of oars will suffice and really sort the men (and women) from the boys (and girls).

Doh

All IMHO of course.
 
Whoa! Kev! I never said anything about not having a bow thruster making one a better skipper! I think you should be pointing your finger somewhere else!
 
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