Un 'potting' Lewmar bow thruster controller

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I have been having trouble with my bow thruster controller. Since the original stopped working yard have now installed 4 (sic) warranty replacements, insisting it is the controller units that are faulty and everything else is tickety boo. I have become a sceptic, perhaps even a cynic about my yard during the last several months, but hey, it is a full service set up and I have to use them despite repeated displays of quite extraordinary incompetence across a range of disciplines.

So - I am going to wait until I am 'free' before I do any more discretionary work. But in the meantime I have recently discovered the joys of single handing, and would really appreciate having my bow thruster to compensate for the loss of my roving fender.

All of which is totally unnecessary fluff...! I have tested my wiring back to the loom in the binnacle from where the wiring disappears into a potted controller. The thruster works just fine in both direction when I short the wires. And the red wire which I presume is the one which powers the joystick controller shows system voltage (c. 12.6v when last I checked). So while something is presumably blowing out multiple controllers, it seems to me I should be able to lash up something that will work on the apparently mechanical joystick until I can find competent professionals. So if I just sod the warranty and go picking around in the controller head, should I be able to use it as a simple switch to turn the thruster on and off in preference to the pair of tweezers out of my Swiss Army knife which I use now. I guess I'll lose the thermal protection but I only use it very occasionally and for single digit seconds at a time so I can live with that.

Alternatively, can anyone recommend a more robust controller that I can try in stead of the Lewmar units?.
 
The controllers are essentially simple switches, which supply low-current 12v positive feed to the solenoids on the thruster. They are complicated by the fact that they usually include electronics to make the switch inoperative unless you press 2 buttons first (or some other lockout) and electronics to de-activate the switch after say 5 minutes' inactivity. Thermal protection, etc, is usually integral with the thruster, not the switch. If you look at the wiring diagram for your thruster, you could easily make up something which would work.
 
Yes, I think that is what I essentially did by bridging the black/grey and black/blue connections in the plastic block. But using the Lewmar thruster has the obvious benefit that it fits the hole in the binnacle, and would be fairly weather proofed even without the potting. But from what you are saying, I can achieve what I want by picking out (or melting) whatever the black stuff is that the wires disappear into and bypassing any non-essential circuitry so it essentially does what I did with my tweezers but still feels like a proper thruster control?
 
Nooka said:
Yes, I think that is what I essentially did by bridging the black/grey and black/blue connections in the plastic block. But using the Lewmar thruster has the obvious benefit that it fits the hole in the binnacle, and would be fairly weather proofed even without the potting. But from what you are saying, I can achieve what I want by picking out (or melting) whatever the black stuff is that the wires disappear into and bypassing any non-essential circuitry so it essentially does what I did with my tweezers but still feels like a proper thruster control?
Click to expand...

I guess that depends on the extent to which electronics are involved in the controller.
 
I've had similar problems with the Lewmar push button controller on my boat.
I've had 4 new controllers in 5 years. The current one is still working after being replaced midseason.
Some of the big contactors on the thruster are switched on the negative side, so the positive cables on the thruster are always live, others are switched on the negative side. So take care if you are working around the motor. Mine is a 5kW, 12volt unit so it can draw up to 500amps.
The contactors on the on the thruster are controlled by the "black box" tie wrapped to the side of the thruster.
And in turn the black box (it's, as far as I can make out, a set of relays with diodes in parallel) is controlled by the joystick or buttons.
The joystick or push button controller has electronics, prevents the thruster being reversed for a few seconds, to allow the motor to stop spinning, stops the thruster from being operated continuously for more than 3 min, and a time-out, which switches the unit off after a few minutes if it has not been used. The push button version also prevents the both directions being engaged at the same time.
I have several documents which you might find useful including a fault finding procedure supplied by Lewmar. I've put these on dropbox, see the link below. if you can't use dropbox, PM me with an email address and I'll email the to you.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mo61ahmtjaolg0a/Manual-T1873LewmarUKTTThruster140-300500100Issue3.pdf?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yqcobgulpqk986j/ProductDatasheet32.PDF?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/q0a04f8llwcfms2/TT bow thruster - problem solver.pdf?dl=0

As a final comment, you're not the only person to have problems with Lewmar Thrusters, on my meanderings around the West Coast of Scotland, I've meet several other owners who report similar issue. Both versions of the cockpit controller seem to suffer from the same unreliability.
This is a long standing issue and I don't understand why Lewmar haven't fixed it with an upgrade.
 
Ian_Edwards said:
I've had similar problems with the Lewmar push button controller on my boat.
I've had 4 new controllers in 5 years. The current one is still working after being replaced midseason.
Some of the big contactors on the thruster are switched on the negative side, so the positive cables on the thruster are always live, others are switched on the negative side. So take care if you are working around the motor. Mine is a 5kW, 12volt unit so it can draw up to 500amps.
The contactors on the on the thruster are controlled by the "black box" tie wrapped to the side of the thruster.
And in turn the black box (it's, as far as I can make out, a set of relays with diodes in parallel) is controlled by the joystick or buttons.
The joystick or push button controller has electronics, prevents the thruster being reversed for a few seconds, to allow the motor to stop spinning, stops the thruster from being operated continuously for more than 3 min, and a time-out, which switches the unit off after a few minutes if it has not been used. The push button version also prevents the both directions being engaged at the same time.
I have several documents which you might find useful including a fault finding procedure supplied by Lewmar. I've put these on dropbox, see the link below. if you can't use dropbox, PM me with an email address and I'll email the to you.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mo61ahmtjaolg0a/Manual-T1873LewmarUKTTThruster140-300500100Issue3.pdf?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yqcobgulpqk986j/ProductDatasheet32.PDF?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/q0a04f8llwcfms2/TT bow thruster - problem solver.pdf?dl=0

As a final comment, you're not the only person to have problems with Lewmar Thrusters, on my meanderings around the West Coast of Scotland, I've meet several other owners who report similar issue. Both versions of the cockpit controller seem to suffer from the same unreliability.
This is a long standing issue and I don't understand why Lewmar haven't fixed it with an upgrade.
Click to expand...

That's really useful Ian, thank you (if not very encouraging that the next replacement will resolve my problems). As you say, it can't be too difficult to reddish to overcome these issues so it does seem odd that a company with a decent reputation does not seem inclined to do so. Maybe if you have any contact details of other sufferers a concerted effort as evidence of a groundswell might give them the push they clearly need. Newly retired, a first easy 'campaign' before I get onto the litter in the village, modern building, anything in my back yard, the state of youth today and all those other things which seem to exercise retired people might be a good place to hone my grumpy muscle so I would be happy to do the legwork.
 
Unfortunately, I don't have contact detail, by their very nature these are chance encounters, on a pontoon or in an anchorage.
Perhaps if other members of the forum have had similar problems they might like to chip in with their experience of Lewmar Thrusters.
By the way, if you look at the problem solving document, you'll see that it is very easy to make up a simple switch to replace the controller. A two way, centre off, momentary switch will do the trick.
 
Ian_Edwards said:
Unfortunately, I don't have contact detail, by their very nature these are chance encounters, on a pontoon or in an anchorage.
Perhaps if other members of the forum have had similar problems they might like to chip in with their experience of Lewmar Thrusters.
By the way, if you look at the problem solving document, you'll see that it is very easy to make up a simple switch to replace the controller. A two way, centre off, momentary switch will do the trick.
Click to expand...

When I first fitted my Vetus bow thruster I had an electronic push button control like the Lewmar one. It failed quite quickly and I tryed to fix it to no avail so I simply fitted a two way, centre off, momentary switch which did the trick.

I also fitted a pair of windlass foot operated push buttons just in front of my steering binacle so I can operate my bow thruster with my feet leaving my hands free to steer and operate the engine throttle.
 
A friend of mine has a Side Power thruster: the control for that packed up and I used a spare anchor windlass controller as a temporary replacement.
Essentially, three wires out of the windlass controller (common power, up and down) we're connected to male spade connectors. These were then connected to the common power, port and starboard wires in the connector between the joystick and the wires to the thruster. The controller box was relabelled with a marker pen P & S and it worked fine until a replacement was delivered. Cooled wire was well long enough to be routed to the wheel for use. Only down side was that the thruster had to be switched on and off at the panel as there was no way to turn it on and for using the windlass controller.
The same could easily be lashed up with a length of three core wire and an anchor switch let not the top of a Tupperware box. It's not necessary to unpot the controller, simply tap into the wiring at the connector. Leave the controller in place for the time being.
 
Ian_Edwards said:
Unfortunately, I don't have contact detail, by their very nature these are chance encounters, on a pontoon or in an anchorage.
Perhaps if other members of the forum have had similar problems they might like to chip in with their experience of Lewmar Thrusters.
By the way, if you look at the problem solving document, you'll see that it is very easy to make up a simple switch to replace the controller. A two way, centre off, momentary switch will do the trick.
Click to expand...

Interesting conversation at the boat show yesterday. New Lewmar thruster controllers are just round the corner - indeed they are on display on the Lewmar stand but according to an extremely helpful person on the Aquafax (UK distributors I believe) stand, they keep putting back the launch date to ensure the new ones are bombproof because of the grief they have had with the existing. But it should be days or weeks rather than months. The models I saw wouldn't fit directly into the existing binnacle cut-out but Aquafax were confident that adapters would be provided. So an end for frustrated users seems to be in sight.

Still crap PR by Lewmar though.
 
nigelmercier said:
I've gone through two modifications to my bow thruster control. The first was a wireless relay device from which I boxed the transmitter in with a rotary switch, the knot was made into a boat shape. The second is based on a new throttle lever with a trim-tab switch, perfect.
Click to expand...

I fear your technical abilities are in a different universe to mine. I was game to try a heath robinson solution but am sufficiently convinced that a more reliable proprietary solution is on the cards to hold on a little while longer.
 
Nooka said:
I fear your technical abilities are in a different universe to mine. I was game to try a heath robinson solution but am sufficiently convinced that a more reliable proprietary solution is on the cards to hold on a little while longer.
Click to expand...

I've just added a wireless remote to my thruster, using a cheap winch controller (£6 on eBay). The little keyfob has 2 buttons concealed by a sliding cover. It's very simple to wire - the red and black go to the red and black wires in the thruster control loom, and the other 2 wires go to the other 2 wires in the control loom (might need to swap them to get the correct direction of operation). The fifth wire is the aerial. The easiest way to wire it is to buy a Y-connector for your loom, and then just use crimp connectors. See http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wireless-...50ft-15m-for-Truck-Jeep-SUV-ATV-/181786000182

View attachment 59976
 
Last edited:
pvb said:
I've just added a wireless remote to my thruster, using a cheap winch controller (£6 on eBay). The little keyfob has 2 buttons concealed by a sliding cover. It's very simple to wire - the red and black go to the red and black wires in the thruster control loom, and the other 2 wires go to the other 2 wires in the control loom (might need to swap them to get the correct direction of operation). The fifth wire is the aerial. The easiest way to wire it is to buy a Y-connector for your loom, and then just use crimp connectors. See http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wireless-...50ft-15m-for-Truck-Jeep-SUV-ATV-/181786000182

View attachment 59976
Click to expand...

Looks neat - ordered one. Just bewildering myself searching for the appropriate y connector - any clues!?
 
pvb said:
If you have a Lewmar thruster, you should find the part number in the thruster manual.
Click to expand...

Ah - thank you - I hadn't realised they are specific solutions - been scrolling through photos of connectors in electrics stores trying to find something that looks similar!
 
Nooka said:
Ah - thank you - I hadn't realised they are specific solutions - been scrolling through photos of connectors in electrics stores trying to find something that looks similar!
Click to expand...

There are squillions of different plug/socket connectors. If you get the Lewmar Y-connector, you can just unplug the loom, pop the connector in and replug the loom into one branch, leaving the second branch for the wireless remote. Advantage is that if you change your mind, you can simply unplug the Y-connector.
 
pvb said:
There are squillions of different plug/socket connectors. If you get the Lewmar Y-connector, you can just unplug the loom, pop the connector in and replug the loom into one branch, leaving the second branch for the wireless remote. Advantage is that if you change your mind, you can simply unplug the Y-connector.
Click to expand...

Yup - on it - thank you very much for the tip.
 
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