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(Yet Another) Bowthruster Thread


Victor Vectis

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We were sharing locks on the GU yesterday.

 

Usual procedure, one gate open then moving across to let the other boat in.

 

We were sharing with a 30ft boat who told us that they "Couldn't shuffle over as they didn't have a bowthruster like we did"

 

'Red Wharf' was built with a BT but the only time we used it was on the test drive before we bought.

Never used it since so we had it taken out last year!

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20 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

We were sharing locks on the GU yesterday.

 

Usual procedure, one gate open then moving across to let the other boat in.

 

We were sharing with a 30ft boat who told us that they "Couldn't shuffle over as they didn't have a bowthruster like we did"

 

'Red Wharf' was built with a BT but the only time we used it was on the test drive before we bought.

Never used it since so we had it taken out last year!

A boat pulled onto the moorings where we are yesterday. All I heard was he screeching of a hairdryer for a few seconds, then the screeching noise became slower and lower. I looked out of the front of our boat and saw a little fifty odd foot boat with the steerer getting off the arse end with the centre rope in hand, the pointy bit still ten feet from the side ? A complete waste of water tank space.

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5 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

A boat pulled onto the moorings where we are yesterday. All I heard was he screeching of a hairdryer for a few seconds, then the screeching noise became slower and lower. I looked out of the front of our boat and saw a little fifty odd foot boat with the steerer getting off the arse end with the centre rope in hand, the pointy bit still ten feet from the side ? A complete waste of water tank space.

Yeah, fancy using a girly centre line..  

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Watched a boater in Calcutt the other day, reversing into his pontoon opposite me.

 

It must have been 15 minutes of bow thruster on 2 seconds, off two seconds, on two seconds, off two seconds. Was getting right on my nerves in the end....

 

 

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3 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Far too much use of bow thrusters to steer boats in general, but at the end of the day it is their boat so they can do what they want.  I accept they do have their place, but so often misused.

I agree that thrusters are often wrongly used to steer with, but who are we to critisise what other people do with their boats.

 

Still, if there were no bow thrusters what would there be for people to feel smug/superior about?:rolleyes:

 

Howard

 

 

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17 minutes ago, howardang said:

I agree that thrusters are often wrongly used to steer with, but who are we to critisise what other people do with their boats.

 

Still, if there were no bow thrusters what would there be for people to feel smug/superior about?:rolleyes:

 

Howard

 

 

Boats with engines

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I was moored near a lift bridge for a few months, and started counting the amount of times that some boaters used their BT's whilst waiting for the bridge to lift.

For a while, the record stood at 15. Then some chap came along, and managed to use his no less than 27 (twenty seven) times. Just to try to stay still.  No wonder people hate them...

 

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2 hours ago, rgreg said:

They have their uses (eg they are particularly beneficial when reversing into marina berth in a crosswind) but you learn to be a much better steerer without one. 

I steer in to our berth in reverse using the wind to assist, I adjust when I start turning depending on the wind. No use of a bow thruster.

 

There are several boats near us that make plenty of use of their bow thruster, some of them when they have 50' of their 57' in against the pontoon.

 

The ones that make me laugh is using the bow thruster to go round a simple bend whilst travelling forwards.

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3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I think steering is an excellent use for a bow thruster - but only when reversing. 

 

I was meaning when going forwards, seen/heard lots of use when going into locks for example.

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2 hours ago, Rob-M said:

I steer in to our berth in reverse using the wind to assist, I adjust when I start turning depending on the wind. No use of a bow thruster.

 

There are several boats near us that make plenty of use of their bow thruster, some of them when they have 50' of their 57' in against the pontoon.

 

The ones that make me laugh is using the bow thruster to go round a simple bend whilst travelling forwards.

Which is, of course, the way to do it. However, the wind can alter unexpectedly and a quick blast from the bowthruster can keep you on course. As I said, a bowthruster used sparingly can be helpful no matter how good a steerer you are. The problem is when people come to rely on them and never learn to steer in challenging circumstances without them.

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17 minutes ago, cuthound said:

I've seen one boat using a bow thruster to line up to go through the bridge at the end of my garden. The bridge is on a straight bit of canal...

He was trying to get round the gnomes....

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We came across a boat on the Staffs and Worcs, chap in the back and two ladies on the bank pulling the boat round a bend. I asked if they needed help and he said he had list steering and proceeded to demonstrate that when he pressed the bow thruster button nothing happened. His tiller was working fine but he didn't seem to realise that he could steer with just the tiller.

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I was in Bristol a few years ago when a motor and butty pair of hotel boats tied on the mooring of the trip boat REDSHANK. They were asked to move as REDSHANK was due back but their path back into the docks was obstructed by other trip boats moored several abreast directly ahead of them. As a former 'captain' of narrow boat pairs I decided to watch to see how they got around the boats obstructing them and to see if the steerer would do the same as I had in mind - he did not as he used the bow thruster fitted in the fore end of the butty !!!! Back in the day there was a professional pride with boat handling and getting out of awkward situations with minimal fuss, which was rare as generally you do not get your boats into awkward situations in the first place, and this was a turning point for me as I realised that there was no longer any skill required to work as a professional boatman. 

 

My boat is an 82 year old 71'6'' narrow boat and has never had a bowthruster. If it did have a bowthruster it would need to be about halfway along the hull as the fore end is just coming out of the water when it is empty :captain:

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On 22/05/2019 at 18:01, howardang said:

I agree that thrusters are often wrongly used to steer with, but who are we to critisise what other people do with their boats.

 

Still, if there were no bow thrusters what would there be for people to feel smug/superior about?:rolleyes:

 

Howard

 

 

 

Quite.

 

A thread consisting largely of posts moaning about bow thrusters which was sparked off by a story about a boat without a bow thruster... 

Edited by blackrose
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10 hours ago, Neil2 said:

Never mind all this talk of bow thrusters and boats I say bring back crossply tyres drum brakes and a bloody big steering wheel instead of this wimpy power steering grrrr..

Yes, and coil,points and carburettors,or even magnetos.WHEN you broke down it was easy to fix.

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nothing like a bowthruster thread to bring out the snobs on both sides of the argument - 'proper seamanship' - 'flashy b*st*rd' - etc.

 

 

like MtB I think they are marvellous for keeping a boat on track when reversing.  When I had a widebeam in a congested marina berth open to the west wind, I couldn't have managed without it.  Apart from that I think they are often over-used by those who have them, just to show off. 

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