Remove bowthruster props in water

Our new boat, purchased this week and on the hard at Hamble as I write, has Sidepower thrusters bow and stern. Not looking too bad and the anodes are fine so I thought just leave the things alone. Should we strip them anyway and grease every thread just to make sure they come apart next time?
 
TwoHooter said:
Our new boat, purchased this week and on the hard at Hamble as I write, has Sidepower thrusters bow and stern. Not looking too bad and the anodes are fine so I thought just leave the things alone. Should we strip them anyway and grease every thread just to make sure they come apart next time?
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The old adage, if it ain't broke don't fix it, applies!!

We need pics of your fine new craft!!!
 
I take our Sidepower props off every annual lift.
If you haven't ever had them off, they may take some pulling once you have removed tge anode and nut.
I grease ours every time for that reason - so that they come off easily.
IIRC there is a woodruf key that could get lost if you did it in the water.
Why not just scrape them.

If you are experiencing loss of power, you may have worn brushes.
This has happened recently to our stern thruster.
Look at the Sidepower troubleshooting guide.
Two reasons for loss of power - barnacles or brushes.
In our case, it was brushes - also identified by the thruster running much quieter than usual.
It would be worth checking the motor anyway.
There is an excellent guide on the internet which explains the removal and how to service the brushes.
Let me know if you can't find it.
 
You know, it's a funny thing about boats, they can bite you in ways you didn't even think of. When we saw that our new boat had Sidepower thrusters at bow and stern, included in the price for no extra money so to speak, I thought to myself, "This is a Good Thing, we have 2 extra assets to make our boating experience trouble-free and pleasurable and we might even be able to get in and out of marinas without embarassing ourselves or hitting something expensive". But now, if this thread is to be believed, we have in fact saddled ourselves with two extra liabilities, both of which have to be de-barnacled, re-brushed, dis-mantled, re-greased, and generally pampered otherwise they will do something nasty to us when we are least expecting it. It may even be necessary for me to go on a PADI course and burst my eardrums like the last time so I can immerse myself in filthy polluted marina waters, drop expensive tools in the water and lose parts which are only replaceable after a 36 hour delay and a $500 Fedex fee..... It's all just so depressing.

(It's raining; I've had to spend a whole day watching my wife anti-foul the new boat; I've drunk all the Bollinger; perhaps that explains my mood)
 
TwoHooter said:
You know, it's a funny thing about boats, they can bite you in ways you didn't even think of. When we saw that our new boat had Sidepower thrusters at bow and stern, included in the price for no extra money so to speak, I thought to myself, "This is a Good Thing, we have 2 extra assets to make our boating experience trouble-free and pleasurable and we might even be able to get in and out of marinas without embarassing ourselves or hitting something expensive". But now, if this thread is to be believed, we have in fact saddled ourselves with two extra liabilities, both of which have to be de-barnacled, re-brushed, dis-mantled, re-greased, and generally pampered otherwise they will do something nasty to us when we are least expecting it. It may even be necessary for me to go on a PADI course and burst my eardrums like the last time so I can immerse myself in filthy polluted marina waters, drop expensive tools in the water and lose parts which are only replaceable after a 36 hour delay and a $500 Fedex fee..... It's all just so depressing.

(It's raining; I've had to spend a whole day watching my wife anti-foul the new boat; I've drunk all the Bollinger; perhaps that explains my mood)
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Maybe that old saying is true about the 2 happiest days of owning a boat. I'd put her on the market so you can experience them both in short order!:)
 
Lateral thinking Make up two plugs for the bow thruster hole. One has a hose connection in it.

Block up both ends pump in patio cleaner. Leave for 30 mins. Remove. Job done.

Making end caps must be cheaper than a lift and probably quicker and easier than taking the thing to bits in the water.
 
jimmy_the_builder said:
Update: currently anchored in Villefranche (just to the left of the tall tree that is centre-rightish on the webcam http://vsm.shinshu-a.com). I can get the allen key anode bolt off ok, but the anode itself is stuck fast. Birmingham screwdriver required?
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Yes
Sometimes you need to tap the anode to loosen it.
That would be quite difficult to do in the water.
I think this, kind of, indicates that you should do the job out of the water.

But, if you can get the anode bolt off, surely you can clean the prop without removing everything.

Have you checked the motor brushes - like I say above?
 
Hurricane said:
Yes
Sometimes you need to tap the anode to loosen it.
That would be quite difficult to do in the water.
I think this, kind of, indicates that you should do the job out of the water.

But, if you can get the anode bolt off, surely you can clean the prop without removing everything.

Have you checked the motor brushes - like I say above?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it isn't the motor brushes, because (a) the props are pretty badly fouled, and (b) the thruster worked perfectly a few weeks ago before the fouling.

Either way, I've parked the job for just now, I got distracted by jfm's awesome Seabob! :D

Ps hurric you'd be proud of me, I pootled all the way from Villefranche to Sanremo this morning, on a completely flat sea, lovely.
 
I've changed a blade on an SE80 whilst the boat is in the water.
It helps to have a support person in the dinghy to pass tools.
Remove the Allan head bolt. Insert a bigger Allan key or screwdriver in to the hole left by the bolt. Use this to help leverage the zinc anode off.
Remove nut.
Remove blade.
The hardest part is stopping the bow thruster from turning whilst undoing the bolt/nut. I could reach around and hold the other blades whilst turning the allan key/socket. However, they are pretty sharp and so more comfortable with a glove on.
Make sure main breaker is off to bow thruster before starting work.
 
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