Stern Thruster Recommendations, good & bad?

[Jsy Phil]

Hi, I’m contemplating installing a stern thruster on my AquaStar 38, must be getting old as I’ve managed using the engines so far and installation of a bow thruster would be quite difficult.

Any recommendations good or bad please on manufacturer and models please?

cheers

Phil

 

[Elessar]

Hi, I’m contemplating installing a stern thruster on my AquaStar 38, must be getting old as I’ve managed using the engines so far and installation of a bow thruster would be quite difficult.

Any recommendations good or bad please on manufacturer and models please?

cheers

PhilView attachment 116104

Don’t get a sternthruster if you don’t have a bow thruster. I don’t see how it would help at all.

 

[ozzie]

I have just had a Side Power EX external pod stern thruster fitted and its brilliant! Wish I had done it years ago. I dont use it all the time but it certainly helps if things are going wrong. These units are suitable for fitting as a bow thruster, just three holes required. A 50mm hole for main support and cables plus two 12mm holes for support brackets, so much easier to fit than a standard tunnel thruster. I agree with Ellesar, a bow thruster should be the first priority though. I got the parts from Bow Thrusters Direct in Plymouth. Give Nick Nutt a call there, he is very knowledgeable and always happy to help!

 

[ebbanflo]

Hi, I’m contemplating installing a stern thruster on my AquaStar 38, must be getting old as I’ve managed using the engines so far and installation of a bow thruster would be quite difficult.

Any recommendations good or bad please on manufacturer and models please?

cheers

PhilView attachment 116104

I would agree with Elesar, but if you are going to fit one I would second Ozzie, Nick Nutt at Thrusters Direct is very helpful.

 

[Jsy Phil]

Don’t get a sternthruster if you don’t have a bow thruster. I don’t see how it would help at all.

Hi, I don’t have a bow thruster

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Don’t get a sternthruster if you don’t have a bow thruster. I don’t see how it would help at all.

Agree with that. Realistically a sternthruster cannot do anything that you can't already do with differential thrust of your engines. All it really does is give you a bit more finesse when you want to make small sideways movement of your stern and a sternthruster is certainly no substitute for a bowthruster

I would certainly recommend investigating fitment of a bowthruster first before even thinking about a sternthruster. Who's told you a bowthruster cannot be fitted in your boat and why?

I had a Side-Power bowthruster fitted by this company many years ago and was very pleased with their work. Worth giving them a call for advice

Sleipner Side-Power Bow Thrusters — Osmotech

PS Very nice boat btw!

 

[Jsy Phil]

Agree with that. Realistically a sternthruster cannot do anything that you can't already do with differential thrust of your engines. All it really does is give you a bit more finesse when you want to make small sideways movement of your stern and a sternthruster is certainly no substitute for a bowthruster

I would certainly recommend investigating fitment of a bowthruster first before even thinking about a sternthruster. Who's told you a bowthruster cannot be fitted in your boat and why?

I had a Side-Power bowthruster fitted by this company many years ago and was very pleased with their work. Worth giving them a call for advice

Sleipner Side-Power Bow Thrusters — Osmotech

PS Very nice boat btw!

Thanks Mike, to fit a bow thruster would mean stripping out the fore cabin berth and removing the water tank that sits under it. It would mean cutting down the SS water tank as well which is a lot of work which I don’t really want to do.
sometimes I just need a little help swinging her stern if there’s wind or tide and stern thruster seems the least impact option.

 

[n.herring]

Speak to Osmotech, good company. Would agree about the bow thruster first but see where you are coming from.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Thanks Mike, to fit a bow thruster would mean stripping out the fore cabin berth and removing the water tank that sits under it. It would mean cutting down the SS water tank as well which is a lot of work which I don’t really want to do.
sometimes I just need a little help swinging her stern if there’s wind or tide and stern thruster seems the least impact option.

Trouble is that if there's wind pushing the boat off the pontoon, the bow is liable to swing out faster than the stern which is why a bowthruster is more desirable than a sternthruster. You certainly aren't going to do any harm fitting a sternthruster but, if it was me, I'd be spending my money on a bowthruster even if it entailed structural modifications. I think its certainly worth speaking to more thruster installation companies to see whether there's a way round the water tank problem

 

[Bandit]

I had a Fairline 36 Sedan with no thrusters and got on ok if on occasion a lot of throttle movement.

Then I bought an Aquastar 48 with bow and stern thrusters. Bow thruster great stern thruster little effect. after a couple of years I ventured down in the steering flat and realised the sternthruster had been soaked in salt water.

New Sternthruster motor and a pair of cowls to deflect the water down and more importantly stop it sucking air in on the input side and its great. In a tight berth I can put it in with a couple of feet to spare at each end.

I use Sidepower Sleipner with the motor inside the transom.

I would be pleased to talk to you about fitting it in Guernsey at M&G.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

after a couple of years I ventured down in the steering flat and realised the sternthruster had been soaked in salt water.

That is certainly a problem with sternthrusters. Because the motors sit low and aft they tend to get splashed with salt water from the bilges regularly. I've had problems with my sternthruster motor because of that. I had it rebuilt once after it failed and then it failed again so I ended up replacing it completely and building a grp dam around it in an attempt to keep it drier

 

[Bandit]

A Lot of AS 38's have bow and stern thrusters I Have Sleipner Sidepower on my AS48 the Sternthruster is great.

This is an AS 38 we lifted last week with both.

I would be happy to talk to you about fitting one or Both at M&G in Guernsey at M&G give me a bell with your mob or email and I will give you a call.

 

[Elessar]

That is certainly a problem with sternthrusters. Because the motors sit low and aft they tend to get splashed with salt water from the bilges regularly. I've had problems with my sternthruster motor because of that. I had it rebuilt once after it failed and then it failed again so I ended up replacing it completely and building a grp dam around it in an attempt to keep it drier

I used to fit sternthrusters. Never did one without a dry enclosure. It’s doomed without.
Sleipner demand it for their warrantee.

 

[Reality61]

There is a Nelson 45 at our marina that had restraints on space so he went for a system of water jets for both bow and stern. The main advantage is the pump is mouted inside and therefore there is never a problem if there is an issue to save on lift outs. The only thing under water is the 4 skin fittings.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

A Lot of AS 38's have bow and stern thrusters I Have Sleipner Sidepower on my AS48 the Sternthruster is great.

This is an AS 38 we lifted last week with both.

I would be happy to talk to you about fitting one or Both at M&G in Guernsey at M&G give me a bell with your mob or email and I will give you a call.

I have no connection with Bandit or M&G but I would say that the OP should take up that offer

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I used to fit sternthrusters. Never did one without a dry enclosure. It’s doomed without.
Sleipner demand it for their warrantee.

Maybe you should offer your services to Ferretti because they dont seem to understand that

 

[Solent Sailor]

Osmotech fitted my Sidepower/Sleipner bow and stern thrusters. Cost was about £10k+VAT three years ago. The bow thruster gets far more use than the stern, although I do like to know its there because we're very beamy (15mx4.6m) and have often been put in tight berths when visiting other marinas, so having the ability just to tweak the stern in or out is useful. For normal berthing, hardly ever gets used and the engines are far more useful. The one exception would be coming into a tight alongside berth with the wind blowing you off.

The main benefit of having both is being able to pin the boat (with the optional remote control) against the pontoon if you're doing everything singlehanded. Or when its really blowing some and you want to tighten your lines - just stand on the dock and bring the boat towards you with the remote. That is useful if you're dealing with a big lump or aren't physically strong enough due to the wind factor.

Get the bow thruster installed - that will make a difference to you that the stern thruster will not. When we bought ours, the broker was adamant that we needed a stern thruster but not a bow thruster - completely wrong.