Fitting a Bow Thruster

[KevB]

Ordered new boat but didn't spec a bow thruster but now wish I had. To buy the thruster (Vetus) and all the bits required is a relatively cheap £1000 (at the boat show) but have been quoted astronomical amounts to fit it.
Does anyone out there know a good (cheap)GRP/Gel coat person and a electrical person to fit it?
The boat wont be in the water for about a month so need to get it done in that time.

Thanks
Kevin.

 

[paulineb]

It's an expensive business. A friend had one fitted to his Humber last year at MMS in Shepperton and I believe it cost him around £4,000 all in - he's still a crap skipper though (are you still lurking Alan ???) ;-)

Pxx

 

[KevB]

We've been quoted £1800 to fit it for 3 days work. I could get a consultant for that rate!!!

 

[BarryD]

Ahh but would you trust your average IT contractor to knock a hole in the bottom of your new boat and then to wire up an egg whisk in some semblance of order? The guys I see can just about string two words together before they start to cry about IR35 and the fact they need a rate increase <G>

Barry D

 

[KevB]

I've heard you cheap Barry <G> what you doin this weekend?? Fitting a bow thruster has got to be like a walk in the park compared to you Win2000 AD problems.

 

[BarryD]

Ha fit your own toys Kev - if I get near a boat this weekend it will be to fit my new chart plotter - can't figure out where to put the GPS receiver as I'm short a radar arch. However SWMBO has deemed it to be a rellie weekend - so all plans are shot.

Barry D

 

[Guest]

Hmm, 2800 quid would cover a lot of problems. Mind you, so would 2grand. Perhaps draw the money out in cash £50 notes, and keep it handy to hand out when you smack something/somebody. I bet you won't get thru the money.

And for something of a bit more use, i found http://www.abcpm.co.uk/pages/news.html who say thyat fitting is "less than you'd think". Worth it to get a comparison? Or indeed, gettem to drive down to s coast if they are super-cheap.

 

[Guest]

Re: rellie weekend

it is not a rellie weekend at all! Its lying down quietly after embarassing friday nite weekend. Also, the gps rcvr thing doesn't need to be in the air like radar. Just in front of the windscreen will do, and much easier for trouble shooting (ie giving it a whack) when it doesn't work.

 

[BarryD]

Re: rellie weekend

'Fraid it is Matts - Short person will be being returned by grandparents who want feeding on Saturday afternoon. Aunt 'n Uncle somehow also invited so I'm duty cook on Satruday evening for more big eats and then we go raiding the port / whisky (my what fun). A PaulineB puts it Nurefon sandwich anyone?

Re: GPS receiver could fit it to the left of the centre windscreen pillar (where the dead fishfinder was) to stop the cans of Boddies wandering. All I need is to find some power.

Barry D<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by BarryD on Mon Jan 7 16:40:40 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[coliholic]

Ah but all the consultant would do in three days is to tell you whether it was feasible or not depending on whether you really wanted to do it. May sound a lot but I bet that incudes supplying and fitting the GRP tunnel, all the cabling and you'd be surprised at how much that thick cable costs and how much you actually use, possibly an extra battery or at least fitting in a battery, loom control system etc. No overall for a "professional" to do it, not really a lot of money is it?

 

[peterg]

GPS rcvr thingy

you can get 'clamp on' fittings to mount a GPS antenna on a handrail/pulpit rail with various screw in extensions to raise it a la your nav light in front of the windscreen on MVII ;-)

 

[KevB]

Matts,

Went to their web site and gave them a call, all seemed to be going well especially when they quoted £600 to fit then they asked where the boat was - that's when all went wrong as they are in Wales.

Gives me a bench mark though.

Thanks

 

[KevB]

From what the boat dealer told me the cabling can be T'd off the windless so no need for thick cables to be run down the length of the boat just the control wire.
As for the tunnel - it's just a tube fitted in a hole isn't it, cant be that difficult surely?? Certainly not £1800 worth or am I in the wrong business.

 

[BarryD]

Re: GPS rcvr thingy

Thanks Peter, I guess I could fix it to the NavStar (or whatever it's caled) crappo thingy that doesn't work. However SWMBO would probably use it to launch herself into the blue yonder. If I spend any more money on bits before we actually can use the boat I will probably be shot.

Think I will fit it to the top of the dash - at least I don't need to drill too many holes for that. The power lead has loads of extra wires to interface with all sorts of toys - but I just need the red and black ones - I will stuff the spare cable under the dash.

Barry D

 

[Guest]

Why worry if the firm can do the right job!!
First the time of year, resin dont like going off below 5 degrees.
So it must be done in a suitable shed ,not only for the right temp,but also moister in the air. If either of these problems accur then the resin wont cure properly and appart from the risk of flooding when you slightly tap the pontoon or mooring in a lock which always gets the hull moving around , the unit it self might work free .
Is this scaremongering ,yes to a point but,
If the job is not done right and you get problems the costs will esculate
So what if you get it done on the cheap well ,you get what you pay for.
RE wirering it's all about volt drop the resistance re wire size and length
so as long as the other wire is at least 6mm core then it should be ok .
I have the correct formula some where which tells you what the Lloyds 100 A1 spec requirement is
Mick

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I had a 4hp thruster fitted to a boat a couple of years back and the total bill was £2800 + VAT including the thruster itself which I know cost more than £1000. One thing I would say is that somebody's going to be putting a big hole in your boat so I'd rather pay a bit more for experience but £4k sounds OTT

 

[Guest]

....he says, lighting the blue touch paper and standing well back!

Robbie W

 

[miket]

Make sure the thruster has enough guts.

Helmed a Sealine T46 few years back and thruster was unable to combat a very modest onshore breeze whilst we tried to leave pontoon. Had to resort to skill, using a bow spring!! Totally inadequate. (Thruster, of course, not my skill !!)

 

[Guest]

Re: rellie weekend

Tut tut, "give it a whack" indeed! Surely, on such a high tech gadget, you would administer a 'calibration tap' but choose the size of your lump hammer carefully.

Robbie W

 

[stefan_r]

fitted a Vetus myself late last year....the only thing I got the yard to do was the GRP as I don't want to be cutting holes below the waterline!!!

The Vetus unit is very easy to wire up once the thruster is in place so don't worry about that. Also would strongly suggest you do think about doing the wiring yourself because you will probably do a better job than the yard....the difference is you will slowly take bits of the boat apart to find the best route for the cabling and then loom the wires right and make everything neat and tidy behind headlinings etc....the yard will pull off the decor, clag up the wires with bubble gum and then stick things back together again...hidden from your sight because they are working to a timescale.

Can't remember what it cost me to get mine fitted but was much more in the hundreds not thousands - and that was for the 160kgf thruster!!

mailto: stefan@athito.com