Is a bow thruster worth the money?

[Elessar]

Not sure I fancy the drag from the holes in the hull though?

this is a good point.

If well fitted they will put ears on the leading edge so that from the front you can't see the blank edge of the back of the tunnel. The drag effect then is small.

Or if you have oodles of spare cash you can have a retractable one.

 

[Elessar]

I accept your logic as I don't have a mobo. But there are others around us with bigger and seemingly more difficult to handle mobos that use their bow thrusters very sparingly, if at all.

I agree I edited my post!

 

[Searush]

I accept your logic as I don't have a mobo. But there are others around us with bigger and seemingly more difficult to handle mobos that use their bow thrusters very sparingly, if at all.

As already mentioned, the bigger MoBos are often twin screw & steer with careful application of throttles in close quarters.



BTW, Can I remind all that the OP is talking about a 33' Colvic Countess Centre Cockpit, which is not a large or unwieldy boat. It is only very slightly larger than my elderly centre cockpit Pentland & smaller (less beamy) than Westerly 33's. There are several such boats where I sail & not one requires a BT to get in/out of tight mooring spots, marinas or even tiny local docks.

The OP is new to it & it seems big & the cockpit appears a long way from the pontoon, but I'm sure that given a little time & practise he will become confident with it. Spending (to me) large sums of money to overcome initial (& perfectly natural) nervousness does not seem good value. He may decide otherwise, it's his money.

I am not anti-BT per se, but I do believe that they are not the answer to not bothering to understand how your boat behaves. If that makes sense?

 

[rotrax]

I havent read all the posts on this thread, so in case it has not already been suggested how about blueing some dosh on a day or two's own boat tuition with a pro skipper? Should be much cheaper than cutting holes in your boat and will be benificial even if you decide to have a thruster fitted later. My two pence worth anyway...................

 

[Resolution]

We've just bought a Countess 33, which, as she's centre cockpit and heavy, will probably be a bit of an effort to moor in tight spaces as I'll be single handed with a willing passenger, who I happen to be married to.
Therefore, I'm thinking of getting a bow thruster.
What are the ups and downs of a bow thruster and what do I need?
And how much?

I have both a wife and a bow thruster.
The bow thruster was expensive to instal but responds well at the touch of a button (once I learned which button to press) and has required minimal maintenance over several years.
On the other hand wives are generally better at the ups and downs.

 

[Hoolie]

As already mentioned, the bigger MoBos are often twin screw & steer with careful application of throttles in close quarters.
... ... ...
I am not anti-BT per se, but I do believe that they are not the answer to not bothering to understand how your boat behaves. If that makes sense?

We spent time in Southsea Marina - excellent staff etc - but, unlike others, we never complained so ended up in VERY tight berths with our 40 footer. No complaints, it's a learning curve and we developed the technique of springing out of our berth long before reading about it.

As SR is saying - learn to use your boat!

 

[sailorman]

We spent time in Southsea Marina - excellent staff etc - but, unlike others, we never complained so ended up in VERY tight berths with our 40 footer. No complaints, it's a learning curve and we developed the technique of springing out of our berth long before reading about it.

As SR is saying - learn to use your boat!

+1

 

[Anwen]

We have twin rudders and no prop wash on our boat, so a bow thruster makes our lives much easier. We sailed on her for four years without, and did learn a few tricks. When we chartered a similar boat with a single rudder, you wouldn't believe the difference, the boat actually did what you wanted it to do. I'm sure you sailors who've been sailing since you were in nappies know what you're talking about and would no doubt be able to get our boat to respond, despite the lack of prop wash! We like our bow thruster though. Thank you.

This post has been quietly ignored, but I'm interested in an answer from all you boat handling experts, who seem to think you can make a boat do anything with the wash over the rudder. How do you manage a twin rudder, single prop boat such as the current generation of Southerlys? These seem to come with a factory fitted bow thruster, obviously because everyone who buys a Southerly is carp at boat handling...

 

[Slow_boat]

I appear to have opened a can of worms here!

According to some a bow thruster is a sign of someone who can't handle their boat.

By that logic, maybe fenders are, too. I must look a right muppet having four fenders each side, plus two over the bow and lines rigged both sides. The upside is that though things have occassionally gone wrong, I've never caused any damage.

Sometimes I don't pick up a mooring bouy on the first attempt, either. I must be really carp at this boat handling lark.

I suppose that having only been doing this for 40 odd years means that I don't know it all.

 

[capnsensible]

Cruise ships, container vessels and all sorts of ferries come with bowthrusters fitted as standard too!

Why? Easier, fewer people needed, less use for tugs.

Why on a yacht? Easier, less people needed, less need for grp repair.

Cant see what the problem is really. Learn to use one, practice living without it too, wheres the harm in that???

Anyway, how many of those saying you dont need one practice sailing alongside in case their engine failed. Not many, I bet and it is the same sort of argument isnt it.

 

[Tranona]

I appear to have opened a can of worms here!

According to some a bow thruster is a sign of someone who can't handle their boat.

By that logic, maybe fenders are, too. I must look a right muppet having four fenders each side, plus two over the bow and lines rigged both sides. The upside is that though things have occassionally gone wrong, I've never caused any damage.

Sometimes I don't pick up a mooring bouy on the first attempt, either. I must be really carp at this boat handling lark.

I suppose that having only been doing this for 40 odd years means that I don't know it all.

Stick to your guns - and get one fitted if you can afford it. Most of the "antis" here are talking from their own perspective and have no idea of the situations you are likely to encounter on your journey where you will consider it the best decision you made. There will be a new learning curve as you take advantage of the new found capability of your boat.

 

[RupertW]

Stick to your guns - and get one fitted if you can afford it. Most of the "antis" here are talking from their own perspective and have no idea of the situations you are likely to encounter on your journey where you will consider it the best decision you made. There will be a new learning curve as you take advantage of the new found capability of your boat.

Tosh - of course most of us understand the situations that bowthrusters are used for - close quarter manouvres, by people who don't understand how to steer their boat.

As I said on an earlier post - get one fitted if you feel the need. The noise as you approach acts as a superb numpty alert and we will have the time to get fenders out and watch you tangling with boats around you as the magic box whirls away.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

Tosh - of course most of us understand the situations that bowthrusters are used for - close quarter manouvres, by people who don't understand how to steer their boat.

As I said on an earlier post - get one fitted if you feel the need. The noise as you approach acts as a superb numpty alert and we will have the time to get fenders out and watch you tangling with boats around you as the magic box whirls away.

As I pointed out we have twin rudders and no prop wash. Our BT is fairly quiet actually! We've not sailed all our lives, and I accept that there are a lot of people who are better sailors than we are. We've already had own boat tuition, one of your suggestions to help us be better sailors. We could change our boat I suppose, but we like the one we've got for all sorts of reasons.

We are not numpties though, thank you. Your attitude towards other sailors isn't really very nice to be honest.

 

[Carduelis]

Tosh - of course most of us understand the situations that bowthrusters are used for - close quarter manouvres, by people who don't understand how to steer their boat.

As I said on an earlier post - get one fitted if you feel the need. The noise as you approach acts as a superb numpty alert and we will have the time to get fenders out and watch you tangling with boats around you as the magic box whirls away.

Do you offer training courses by any chance? I'm keen to learn how to consistently manoevre a high sided yacht into a tight marina berth - where the available turning space is substantially less that the length of the boat - in a strong crosswind, with just me and the missus on board.

A Numpty

Ps - I assume you will also have professional liability insurance to cover any necessary GRP repairs..?

 

[Tranona]

Tosh - of course most of us understand the situations that bowthrusters are used for - close quarter manouvres, by people who don't understand how to steer their boat.

Not "Tosh" at all. Using one does not mean you do not understand how to steer your boat - what arrogance to suggest that! - it just means you are sensible enough to make use of the aids available to you. The issue is about the frequency with which one has to use such aids. The OP is going to the Med with just his (passenger) wife as crew. Anything that makes his life easier is worth considering. As many other people here have said it is a useful bit of kit. I had my boat 10 years in the Med and many times I wished I had fitted one - sometimes not being able to moor where I wanted to because it was too risky, but would have been possible with the extra control a Bow Thruster can give.

 

[lw395]

This post has been quietly ignored, but I'm interested in an answer from all you boat handling experts, who seem to think you can make a boat do anything with the wash over the rudder. How do you manage a twin rudder, single prop boat such as the current generation of Southerlys? These seem to come with a factory fitted bow thruster, obviously because everyone who buys a Southerly is carp at boat handling...

Have twin engines to go with the twin rudders? Oh, wait a minute, put one of the engines in the bow?
You could use the sails. Not always practical.
You can reach for the warps and fenders.
You can avoid tight spaces.
Carry more crew?
Scull the stern around with a big sweep?

This last option would have been fairly common on boats without engines.

 

[Slow_boat]

Tosh - of course most of us understand the situations that bowthrusters are used for - close quarter manouvres, by people who don't understand how to steer their boat.

As I said on an earlier post - get one fitted if you feel the need. The noise as you approach acts as a superb numpty alert and we will have the time to get fenders out and watch you tangling with boats around you as the magic box whirls away.

When I hear the magic box whirl away on someones else's boat I tend to relax in the belief that they are less likely to run into problems. I certainly don't assume that they don't know what they are doing.
But then I try not to be judgmental about my fellow boaties.

I think I will carry on as I originally intended, ie launch in spring and spend a day messing around under engine to get used to how she handles. Then we'll head off without one for a season and reconsider before we head south.

I'll continue to use lots of fenders and lines rigged both sides 'just in case' even if it classes me a a numpty who can't handle his boat!

It's strange to get so many opinions stated as facts in this forum. I thought that was
what the lounge was for.

 

[sailorman]

When I hear the magic box whirl away on someones else's boat I tend to relax in the belief that they are less likely to run into problems. I certainly don't assume that they don't know what they are doing.
But then I try not to be judgmental about my fellow boaties.

I think I will carry on as I originally intended, ie launch in spring and spend a day messing around under engine to get used to how she handles. Then we'll head off without one for a season and reconsider before we head south.

It's strange to get so many opinions stated as facts in this forum. I thought that was
what the lounge was for.

Lounge is NON Boaty

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Tosh - of course most of us understand the situations that bowthrusters are used for - close quarter manouvres, by people who don't understand how to steer their boat.

As I said on an earlier post - get one fitted if you feel the need. The noise as you approach acts as a superb numpty alert and we will have the time to get fenders out and watch you tangling with boats around you as the magic box whirls away.

Good that makes me a numpty - loud and proud! My bowthruster proclaims my feeble boat handling skills to all the world. Love it, The Kipper's bow thruster roars and salty seadogs quake in their sailing wellies.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

Have twin engines to go with the twin rudders? Oh, wait a minute, put one of the engines in the bow?
You could use the sails. Not always practical.
You can reach for the warps and fenders.
You can avoid tight spaces.
Carry more crew?
Scull the stern around with a big sweep?

This last option would have been fairly common on boats without engines.

Yes, having a bow thruster seemed like a good option.

Yes, we do use our sails, quite often in fact, but not in a tight marina.

Yes, we use warps, and our boat is fender city, no shame in that!

It's not always possible to avoid tight spaces. You arrive at an unknown marina, they allocate you a space and there you go.

We're just a couple who like sailing. I suppose we could get our dog to leap ashore with a line.