Bowthrusters

[Sailfree]

At what length of boat do people think a bowthruster (BT) is advisable?
On a 38' AWB I have had one situation when trying to turn through the wind to a berth in a marina where a BT would have helped. As the wind was howling I decided the inevitable outcome (I did a practice outside the marina) was being intimate with the adjacent boat so rigged most fenders that side and after gently resting there warped across to the correct berth.
Currently considering a larger boat but should I try to maintain berthing skills and only use BT in strong winds or after I have misjudged it? Is having a BT just compounding my first sin of having an AWB? Is it macho not to use a BT? Or should you at least blip the BT each time as this firstly confirms its working and secondly advertises that although you have a BT your par excellent berthing skills make it largely redundant.
I ask after observing berthing manouvres where many long roars of the BT indicates that the skippers have become very reliant on the BT to berth. I personally don't mind this if it ensures no damage to adjacent boats in crowded marinas but how do others view this?

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[powerskipper]

Bow thrusters don't do much in wind stronger than a F4, may slow it down a bit but will not turn the bow in that kind of wind, sorry,You will have to keep your berthing skills up I'm afraid.

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Julie

 

[StugeronSteve]

I read somewhere that fitting a bow thruster to a boat that was not designed to receive one could cause problems with hull stresses.

Although, yachting mags and pilots etc. seem to be written with the sole intention of driving all confidence out of the poor reader. If you are not having the thruster factory fitted it might be worth checking with the builder about warranty issues.

Steve.

<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.

 

[Sybarite]

Julie, are you taking account of the different windage between a sailing and a motor boat?

John

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[powerskipper]

Er, possibly not, not done much on sail , so happy to be corrected. someone on here will know! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/>http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/</A>
Julie

 

[alant]

Have you tried berthing stern-to into wind? This makes all the difference & can be controlled easily.

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[Sailfree]

I normally find my neigbours object when the wind is at right angle to the pontoon (is it ever any other way?)

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[brianhumber]

Re: Not needed

Ronhilda is 45' and if the keel has to raised because of draft handles like a plastic duck in a bath. Having said that I do not feel the need for a bowthruster as a careful look at the situation will always give a good option for berthing. The trick is not to rush in, use the wind to help you, always think of plan B, and never be too proud to abort and try a different way. Don't wait untill its blowing hard to try these have a go in calm conditions.

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[MrG]

Nice to have if ever I have 3000 to 4000 pounds to spare, which is unlikely.
Sailing a 40 footer, just SWMBO and I we manage fine - we use springs to bring bow or stern out as necessary.
Also, as another poster said - we use astern a lot - very controllable.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>Regards Mark

 

[KevB]

Don't think there are any arguments against a bow thruster regardless of what size boat you have, and if there are I'd like to hear them.
If you haven't got one, you can't use it. If you've got one you can choose not to use it.
Sometimes a bow thruster makes life easier (like power steering on your car or a washing machine). I can "park" my boat just as well with or without one, it's just easier and quicker to use it now and again.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://static.photobox.co.uk/public/images/45/99/10714599.s.jpg?ch=97&rr=16:00:39>Nirvana</A>

 

[claymore]

Dreadful things
- like these blasted devices they put on cars now to help you reverse.
There's all sorts of nonsense talked about electronic charts doing away with traditional skills - complete tosh of course - you still have to understand navigation - but having spent some time watching the antics of people relying on bow thrusters to get them in and out of places instead of going about it correctly in the first place - I think they should be avoided - - to answer the other specific point of the question - minimum length before having one...120 ft.
harummph

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple>regards
Claymore<font color=purple>
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[Benbow]

I once sprung a 60' boat off a wall and round in quite a tight spot with cunning use of warps and prop wash. For once it went exactly to plan. A bloke standing on the wall was heard to comment 'well of course its easy with a bow thruster'. You just can't win !

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[tcm]

Re: Bowthrusters, power and sail

Ooh, some people are awful about bowthrusters. Generallly, i find that people who say you don't need a bowthruster usually have a very MAB (manky auld boat) and usually keep the MAB somewhere cheap and roomy.

There no doubt at all that a sailing boat and a bowthruster are both easier to handle with bowthrusters than without, but this isn't to say that the boat can't be used without. On a powerboat, which goes distinctly sideways in winds, it is more needed that on a deepish keel sailing boat.

In a mobo, I have come across an example where a bowthruster was almost essential - coming out of a stern-to mooring with v limited space ahead, and exposed chains all around need the bow to go to the left but without using an engine othewise i wd've fouled the prop. Trick was to give the engines a sharp burst ahead, then hard on the bt to turn it without engines. But i spect it cd've been done with ropes, altho a right faff.

Other times are when dropping back into a stern-to morring, when slight adjusts on the bt allow fine tuning of the exact route in without using reverse on the engine whih in turn checks the smooth speed backwards. But again, not utterly essential, just easier

On powerboats, bt's are often an option from 35 feet, and these fly about a fair bit - much more than with a sailing boat. On a sailing boat, i would imagine they would be useful at least at 75 feet - when many sailing boats get a crew to push them around with the dinghy. It is all the more important in areas where the choice of berth is v limited, and space around also limited. In many med marinas in high season, there may or may not be any help. But turn up in the uk and you can expect a dory/hm to give a hand.



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[david]

Don\'t listen to those who say they don\'t need one

they probably don't have one anyway. But I bet they would love one if they were truly honest /forums/images/icons/smile.gif I've got one and it's the best thing since sliced bread. I'm thinking I should have one on my dinghy too. Marks out of ten for being the best bit of equipment on a boat is 10/10. How can those who ain't got one even begin to comment /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>David

 

[qsiv]

Well, our thruster (Sleipner/Sidepower) will push the bow anyway you want in F6, on a 28 tonne cruising boat. Wouldnt be without it in modern marinas in a larger boat, as manhandling just isnt an option.

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[claymore]

Re: Don\'t listen to those who say they don\'t need one

Merely commenting on the awful bloody din they make and the fact that I've never seen one help to get on or off a pontoon or wall in a situation that couldn't be done without one.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple>regards
Claymore<font color=purple>
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[alant]

Re: Bowthrusters, power and sail

A mate is currently in process of buying a boat down in Med to live on (46' sail).
He was seriously considering fitting a bowthruster, but has decided not to bother. Saving of about £6000 & he can do a lot more with that sort of dosh. Also boat is about 7 years old & he wasn't convinced this would be good for the hull.
He's now convinced that practice will get his mooring problems sorted (not done Med style stern-to before).

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[pragmatist]

Jeanneau 40 - doesn't it depend on - as YM this month put it "how beautiful your bottom is ". Admittedly on a smaller boat (Sadler) we never considered the issue - parked forwards, backwards any way you like. But with longish keel, underpowered Rival, pontoon mooring up/down tide the bow thruster allows us to get out when we'd otherwise T-bone the next boat up. I say this advisedly since he has an Oyster 39 with similar conformation and I was in the cockpit when he nearly T-boned us !

Not essential - but a delightful add-on which gives you options you might otherwise not have. You can go sailing without a raft of the toys we dribble over each winter - but we have a "must do/have" / "pretty important" / "toys for boys" lists and then I guess you look at the sums !

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is an optimist with a boat in the UK - but serious about not being in the UK !

 

[Its_Only_Money]

Like any piece of kit, once you allow yourself to become reliant upon it....it will fail at the most inopportune time...

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<hr width=100% size=1>Rgds

Simon
Its Only Money
Fairline Sprint
Solent-based

 

[ChrisE]

Re: Bowelthrusters

After all this earnest debate I've decided that bowelthrusters must be the way to go. But do I buy Ex-lax or some other brand?

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