My bowthruster doesn't work like I thought it did .....

[Baggywrinkle]

My new to me boat came with a bow-thruster - I've never had one before and never used one ... so at the weekend I resolved to try it out.

It doesn't do what it says on the tin!?!?! ...

I thought they moved the bow - sort of push the nose in type of thing. It doesn't. It rotates the boat around the keel ... so the bow goes one way and the stern goes the other. Most disconcerting and pretty useless yesterday at the fuel dock. Now I know, I'll use it differently than I had anticipated - but it did confirm my feeling that I don't really need it.

What manoevres are simplified/improved with a bow thruster?

 

[harvey38]

Stick your bum in first, get a stern line ashore then use the noisy, spinny thing in the tunnel to get the pointy end near the pontoon.

 

[doug748]

"What manoevres are simplified/improved with a bow thruster?"



Having never used one I have no idea but I will tell you anyway.

One of the dodgy situations with an aux sailing boat is coming away from a marina berth and being unsure if you can get the bow through the wind. If you can't, the world is against you and plan B is lighting a cigar as you fall back against downwind boats:

A bow thruster makes this easy meat.

On the other hand, one of the other dodgy situations, with an aux sailing boat, is being swept sideways across a berth in a cross tide as you enter. In this case the bow thruster only alters the angle at which you hit the boat next door / light the cigar.

.

 

[capnsensible]

Just like any piece of equipment on any boat. Learn to use it by practice, practice, practice.

It's a valuable tool on modern High sided yachts. When used for the purpose they were invented for, extremely useful. Sounds like you are already getting the idea of its pivot point. Its good to practice on a calm day then you see more effectively what it actually does. Hope you enjoy discovering how it can help.

Quite what goes through the minds of the grumpies that always moan and moan about 'noise' I got no idea.

Ps they are very useful when going astern into a berth in a crosswind.

 

[Supertramp]

Perhaps you have the wrong sort of keel!?

With a long keel the bow moves rather than spinning the boat (although that does happen to an extent).

But the key is knowing how the boat will respond to it and using it with that in mind.

I try to keep it in reserve rather than rely on it but it has been very useful on occasion, such as getting out of a berth in awkward wind when you need to get the boat turning to avoid the wind blowing the bow the wrong way.

 

[Bouba]

Perhaps your thruster isn’t far enough forward....but closer to the pivot point. It doesn’t matter, the ability to spin in your own boat length is pretty good thing to have. Also as the season goes by, and there is weed and other growth on the hull and thruster blades and tunnel...it will weaken. And won’t feel powerful again until after it’s been out the water for a good pressure wash

 

[westernman]

Just like any piece of equipment on any boat. Learn to use it by practice, practice, practice.

It's a valuable tool on modern High sided yachts. When used for the purpose they were invented for, extremely useful. Sounds like you are already getting the idea of its pivot point. Its good to practice on a calm day then you see more effectively what it actually does. Hope you enjoy discovering how it can help.

Quite what goes through the minds of the grumpies that always moan and moan about 'noise' I got no idea.

Ps they are very useful when going astern into a berth in a crosswind.

Even worse is going astern into a berth in with a head wind.

With a cross wind you know which way you are going to get blown. You can point the bow up into the wind, get the stern in the right place and let the wind then straighten you up. Just at the right moment you apply a hefty burst astern and you slight straight back into your slot without touching either boat on either side.

With a head wind, it could go can't do that. You will get blown off and there is nothing you can do to compensate.

That is when you need a bow thruster. I ask the capitainerie to send me a bow thruster - a guy in an inflatable dink.

 

[dunedin]

….

What manoevres are simplified/improved with a bow thruster?

Lots of manoeveres can be aided by the bow thruster - though don’t rely on it when wind gets up above 15-20 knots.

Of course it isn’t magic, so tends to turn round the keel on a sailing yacht. But this can be useful - pushing bow in pushes stern out before reversing off.
And if come in and get stern secured, can hold bow via thruster until bow ropes on.

 

[Zing]

I couldn’t berth mine without one. I know, some will say I can’t helm properly, but some boats don’t steer almost at all at slow speeds in reverse. Twin rudders, full keelers and small partial rudder skegs. Once you’ve practiced you’ll appreciate it. Helpful springing on and off. Also invaluable in tight marinas.

 

[ashtead]

I don’t think I would ever trust it but after a few years it’s helpful as you enter the pontoon the bow crew can direct and you can press short bursts to bring bow in and helps if being blown off pontoon. I have seen others use more extensively when backing into berth but tends not to be our preferrred approach to have cockpit onto pontoon and reverse more. I think at 40ft it’s useful but sub that not to sure. I guess if you have twin rudder southerly or suchlike it might be more important aid than to a single rudder boat . As said practice maybe on a fuel pontoon a few times using in different wind strengths.

 

[Bouba]

My new to me boat came with a bow-thruster - I've never had one before and never used one ... so at the weekend I resolved to try it out.

It doesn't do what it says on the tin!?!?! ...

I thought they moved the bow - sort of push the nose in type of thing. It doesn't. It rotates the boat around the keel ... so the bow goes one way and the stern goes the other. Most disconcerting and pretty useless yesterday at the fuel dock. Now I know, I'll use it differently than I had anticipated - but it did confirm my feeling that I don't really need it.

What manoevres are simplified/improved with a bow thruster?

There is a cure.......stern thruster, anybody

 

[ashtead]

Hydraulic preferably

 

[Bouba]

Baggywrinkle.....are you worried that this might happen....

 

[B27]

There is a cure.......stern thruster, anybody

A mate has bow and stern thrusters on a Gin Palace, very effective.
I've not used bow thrusters much, but like the OP, I found it's another thing you have to learn about the particular yacht by practising when nobody is looking.
I think it makes a difference whether you're against a wall or a pontoon. A stream of water from the thruster can bounce off the wall and push the keel away from the wall?

 

[capnsensible]

There is a cure.......stern thruster, anybody

Have helped two larger motorboats with stern thrusters. One was underpowered and not very useful, the other is fab.

 

[Daedelus]

If you want someone to take your lines in a marina bow thrusters are brilliant. Get into a clear bit of water, put the engine in neutral and give a few high revs, then a long go on the bow thruster and shout "oh NO, lookout!!" or whatever and as if by magic willing helpers appear to help you dock.

 

[wonkywinch]

My new to me boat came with a bow-thruster - I've never had one before and never used one ... so at the weekend I resolved to try it out.

It doesn't do what it says on the tin!?!?! ...

I thought they moved the bow - sort of push the nose in type of thing. It doesn't. It rotates the boat around the keel ... so the bow goes one way and the stern goes the other. Most disconcerting and pretty useless yesterday at the fuel dock. Now I know, I'll use it differently than I had anticipated - but it did confirm my feeling that I don't really need it.

What manoevres are simplified/improved with a bow thruster?

Have a read of James Pearson (ex Hamble School of Yachting) excellent "Big 5 of Boat Handling". The first one applies to your experience -

#1 - Pivot Point

https://www.hamble.co.uk/pdfs/seamanship.pdf

 

[Buck Turgidson]

I only had one on a charter yacht some years ago but it was fun when used in conjunction with engine thrust and opposite rudder. I played about with it on day one and found I could make the boat almost ferry glide both forwards and backwards. Never actually used it docking as I just did what I normally do and forgot it was available until after the fact.

 

[Bouba]

Have a read of James Pearson (ex Hamble School of Yachting) excellent "Big 5 of Boat Handling". The first one applies to your experience -

#1 - Pivot Point

https://www.hamble.co.uk/pdfs/seamanship.pdf

View attachment 183889

I said pivot point first

 

[Elessar]

My new to me boat came with a bow-thruster - I've never had one before and never used one ... so at the weekend I resolved to try it out.

It doesn't do what it says on the tin!?!?! ...

I thought they moved the bow - sort of push the nose in type of thing. It doesn't. It rotates the boat around the keel ... so the bow goes one way and the stern goes the other. Most disconcerting and pretty useless yesterday at the fuel dock. Now I know, I'll use it differently than I had anticipated - but it did confirm my feeling that I don't really need it.

What manoevres are simplified/improved with a bow thruster?

1 Going sideways.
Rudder to port. Blip the throttle. BT starboard and you move sideways to starboard.
2 going stern to.
Use rudder to position the stern and BT to position the bow.