Bowthruster

MattSC · Post by **MattSC** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:07 pm

Just wondering if anyone's tried installing one. I'm thinking about having one installed on my F-26 and have started to research them. Was wondering if anyone has experience with them. I have a pretty easy slip to get into, but it is alway nice to have that extra hand when needed

Lookout · Post by **Lookout** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:59 pm

Does your boat already have a tube? if not, your looking at a glass guy cutting a hole through the front of your boat, and glassing in the tube, then finishing the gel coat. that part alone is alot of work, and can be done correctly only by a very accomplished glass guy. then you need to purchase and install the thruster itself. The thruster would go somewhere under the v-berth and room has to be made if there is anything else there now, ( a tank, whatever) I would imagine 8 to 10 grand would be a decent price for the whole job. a bow thruster is a handy tool to have, no doubt, the only question is, is it worth the cost? Me, if I had a spare 10 grand to drop, it would be an E120 system or navnet.

LSP · Post by **LSP** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:17 pm

I'm not sure how well they work .... but here's a second option to cutting into your boat. It might be worth checking into

http://www.sideshift.com/?gclid=COzpl_u ... HgodSi1oXw

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:45 pm

Matt,

Handling your single inboard requires the greatest skill of all power installations for sure. Thinking about installing a Bow Thruster makes sense if it wasn't for their very high cost. For a boat of your size you may want to look at the stern thruster option. Good luck.

MattSC · Post by **MattSC** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:50 pm

My boat currently doesn't have a tube cut in. I was going to have it done by a company that specializes in bow thruster installation. A person at my marina had one installed on a 34' mainship. They did an excellent job installing it, looks as if it came from the factory that way. Unfortunately he passed away a couple of years ago and his boat has been on blocks. Never got a chance to ask him how it worked out. Another person at my marina has a 35' Albin single engine with a bow thruster and he docks with ease even on the windiest days. I was given a ball park of around 6 Thousand, completed, which I thought was fair (It was a Vetus thruster) . I've pretty much upgraded everything on the boat, including color plotter/sounder and Radar. This was the one thing I've always been tossing around, I have no plans on moving to a different boat, so I don't mind continually upgrading it. That sideshift device looks pretty interesting. Thanks for your input
Matt

chucka · Post by **chucka** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:56 pm

I can't justify it, myself, but I avoid manuvering in reverse in tight quarters. A friend of mine has an Albin 28 single screw with a factory installed thruster, which he swears by. It makes backing into a slip much easier. Here is a website you might want to look at for some articles.

http://www.shipwrightsinc.com/

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 10:00 am

RE the SideShift url shown above.... I saw a guy this past spring with one mounted on the front of his old highly customized, wooden 36' Trojan... (think it might have been a Sea Voyager model - sedan - I will post a pic some day if I can get one as the boat is INCREDIBLE!). He had just installed it and was trying it out. Haven't seen him since so don't know if he stayed happy with it - if I do see him I will try to ask.
His thruster was mounted relatively high to minimize drag at idle and hull speeds, and is out of the water at planing speeds.

Lookout · Post by **Lookout** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:20 pm

I think 6 grand for the job, if everything is included, is a great price. I know where I am (west side of lake Michigan) they start at around 8. If your planing on holding onto the boat and can avoid catching a case of 4 footitis, It would be a great asset to docking for sure.

Dreamer · Post by **Dreamer** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:26 pm

MATTSC

Not change the subject, but thats a sweet looking boat!!

MattSC · Post by **MattSC** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 11:36 pm

Thanks Dreamer, will have to get around to posting some pics of her. Thanks for all of the feedback. The thruster definitely would be a great docking aid for sure. Over the years I've become pretty comfortable docking, can almost spin her around in her own length. However on those windy days and in tight quarters it would make life a whole bunch easier since I usually dock single hand. I'm still up in the air on it, but I plan on keeping the boat for a long time. If I decide to do it, I'll post some pics. I'd probably plan to have it installed in the spring before I launch.
Matt