Ripster
Active member
+1... absolutely. You don't always need it, but when you do, you are usually very very happy its there. Get one fitted!!
Is a bow thruster worth having?
- Thread starter Andydent2000
- Start date
+1... absolutely. You don't always need it, but when you do, you are usually very very happy its there. Get one fitted!!
LittleShip
New member
Power boats, especially those designed for speeds faster than displacement have such dinky rudders that a thruster becomes almost essential. An example would be an Albin 28' that will cruise at 26 knots. At docking speeds, its tiny rudder is pretty useless.
At last somebody has mentioned the difference between planning and displacement as a factor to fitting a bow thruster.......
My boat is displacement and can in most circumstances be moored using just the Prop wash and prop walk.... the reason for this is having more in the water and probably due to weight I'm not blown about as much. That said, there have been a couple of occasions that a thruster would have made it easier for me to get into my berth... as Philiz will testify
Bow thrusters are (IMO) almost essential in a lightweight planning boat (with or without twin engines) but in a heavy displacement boat it is a nice to have, even if seldom used.
Tom
mjf
Active member
Well -er yes that is really what i wanted to say.
If fitted get a big 'un so you can use it properly - I have heard cruise ship masters mutter lack of horses cause them problems when caught in strong winds and egg box side construction (all private veranda decks)
If fitted get a big 'un so you can use it properly - I have heard cruise ship masters mutter lack of horses cause them problems when caught in strong winds and egg box side construction (all private veranda decks)
Andydent2000
Member
Thanks for all your comments. Looks like I will be havin a word with the boss about raiding the Piggy Bank further.
The new engines are nearly there. Volvo Paul is a real craftsman. A pleasure to watch him work. Really looking forward to some serious cruising in a few weeks time.
hlb
RIP
OK, I've got drawn into it, so I will go through the tripe again. Just got back from Symi, (Greece). Fast ferries, back up, no BT, hit the dock, keep power on till bows come round. OK a few tyres.. Big ferry, this seems more to assist turning bow when leaveing. So ship drops anchor, then turns 90 deg and moores stern to. On departure, it seems to be mainly in astern, as the anchor winch drags the bow round, ready for leaving.
All private boats, drop anchor about 40 M from dock.
As I've said before, If you really really, want to fight physics, buy a bow thruser. But it may not win. The big round fender works every time
All private boats, drop anchor about 40 M from dock.
As I've said before, If you really really, want to fight physics, buy a bow thruser. But it may not win. The big round fender works every time
AndieMac
Well-known member
I reckon what the manufacturer would install as standard, then two sizes up.
When you are being held onto a pontoon with a transverse running spring tide and that ever freshening breeze coming from the same direction, two wide beamed mobos have just berthed fore and aft of you with one metre either end of clearance, their crews and a huge shore party all watching with great interest.
You drop hlb's round fender at the boat's 'shoulder', ahead - astern on the gears, lift the revs until the stern starts to swing out with one hand, and lean on that little BT toggle lever with the other.........it will be at that moment you know it has been money well spent, anything after that will be a bonus
When you are being held onto a pontoon with a transverse running spring tide and that ever freshening breeze coming from the same direction, two wide beamed mobos have just berthed fore and aft of you with one metre either end of clearance, their crews and a huge shore party all watching with great interest.
You drop hlb's round fender at the boat's 'shoulder', ahead - astern on the gears, lift the revs until the stern starts to swing out with one hand, and lean on that little BT toggle lever with the other.........it will be at that moment you know it has been money well spent, anything after that will be a bonus
Assassin
Well-known member
Having had boats with and without, i would say yes, and the issues of power/thrust have already been mentioned.
It is not the power you need, merely the thrust, and with advancements in thruster designs, many lower powered examples now provide much more thrust due to vectoring for the same power as earlier examples.
Shop around and see what is on the market, compare tests and not manufacturers data, and select the right one for you and your requirements.
It is not the power you need, merely the thrust, and with advancements in thruster designs, many lower powered examples now provide much more thrust due to vectoring for the same power as earlier examples.
Shop around and see what is on the market, compare tests and not manufacturers data, and select the right one for you and your requirements.
blueglass
New member
And think of that HORRIBLE noise. When everyone in the marina will hear it and know that you are cheating.
why do folks think using a BT is cheating? Its a tool, if you've got one in your toolbox - use it.
Morpheous
Member
Its usually only those with Bow thruster envy that give disparaging looks anyway
CX54WEK
New member
We dont have a bow thruster on NC (25fter single on stern drive) and can only think of a handful of times in the last few years where it may have come in handy. Judging by the fact that both us and the boat have survived then no they are not essential pieces of equipment.
Judging by the reliability of the thrusters on our friends boats they certainly shouldnt be relied upon.
pheran
New member
Total nonsense. Having had bow thruster alone or bow and stern thrusters on our last four boats, electric and hydraulic, with thousands of hours use, we have never experienced reliability problems of any sort. Nor have we ever heard of any. Sounds like a Daily Mail story
CX54WEK
New member
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CX54WEK
New member
Total nonsense. Having had bow thruster alone or bow and stern thrusters on our last four boats, electric and hydraulic, with thousands of hours use, we have never experienced reliability problems of any sort. Nor have we ever heard of any. Sounds like a Daily Mail story
No its through experience of friends boats and seeing some of the knots people get their boats into when relying on the thruster only for it to decide its had enough. We moor in a very open and windy marina, so people with them tend to rely on the heavily, wrongly in our experience.
We dont have one as I said, nor do we desire to own one. Personal preference and personal experiences, but, in a marina of 400 odd boats there are a lot of people who you can ask/tell you about about the reliability issues.
Just because you have been lucky with yours it doesnt mean they are all the same. We have had little trouble with our stern drive and diesel heating yet some insist they are the spawn of satan
neale
Active member
So what more reliable, a bow thruster or diesel heating?
There's only one way to find out.......
Fiiiiiiiight
Seriously I bet if you stuck a poll up asking who had experienced problems with bow thruster, diesel heating or stern drives, I bet my lunch on bow thruster coming out as the most reliable.
There's only one way to find out.......
Fiiiiiiiight
Seriously I bet if you stuck a poll up asking who had experienced problems with bow thruster, diesel heating or stern drives, I bet my lunch on bow thruster coming out as the most reliable.
CX54WEK
New member
In our personal experience they would all come out top. Our heating has never let us down even through last winter when it was on 24/7 every week for four days, our stern drive has never let us down and our non existant bow thruster has never let us down
pheran
New member
Sounds like the car drivers who argued they didn't need disc brakes. 'Oh no, I'm a perfect driver and always look so far ahead that I can always stop with the crappy old drum brakes on my car'. As has been said above, a BT or ST is just a tool, not a religion. There isn't a boat or helmsman afloat that couldn't derive some benefit from using one, more or less so depending on the circumstances. But then there are so many who think their boat handling can't be improved, no matter what the means.................... our non existant bow thruster has never let us down
KevB
Active member
Yes.
Never heard of a reason not to have one. Regardless of whether it's used or not a boat fitted with one is better equipped than the equivalent without.
MapisM
Well-known member
Since you asked...
With stern to mooring, where you have one or possibly two ground lines to deal with, I've seen more boats than I can remember grabbing one of those lines with the b/t prop when leaving.
If as soon as the ground line(s) is(are) released the bow begins to shift sideways, it's just too istinctive to use the b/t.
And if you do that before the ground line has sunk enough, the result is that you're completely stuck in the middle of the marina, with no stern lines, no b/t, and the boat completely NUC - and that normally happens in crosswind conditions.
Not a pleasant situation, trust me. Neither for the helmsman involved, nor for the other boats moored nearby.
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Searush
New member
Well, my first response was "only if you can't handle your boat".
Then I felt that some would think that I was being offensive.
But think about it a bit; If your boat is easy to handle, you don't need thrusters. Most smaller yachts don't need them cos the keel reduces the speed at which they get blown off course. Twin engines can be handled without a bow thruster too. But a single leg mobo with little draft & high windage would be a nightmare without one, unless it was small enough to manhandle.
So it's down to your confidence in your ability to handle your boat. How "handle-able" is it and to a lesser extent, how experienced in handling it are you? They are not cheap, but neither are gel coat repairs, especially if professionally carried out on another's boat.
I'm lucky, with a smallish twin keel yacht, I can easily fend off by hand, use fenders, warps, sails & engine to carry out the close quarters manouvers I need to, so I would never spend a grand or two to make another hole in my boat. But I can see the value of them everytime I watch ferries docking.
AndieMac
Well-known member
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