bow thruster or not?

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Jim no longer skippers it, it's a little guy now very skilled always waves hi and gets a wave back, it's one of my great Joy's to see this boat taking lorries of the road 

I used to love the disturbance as they approached.

 

Many a time we would be sat up top and notice the boat 'jiggling' on its lines.

 

Sure enough shortly after one of these big boats would pass.

[bagginz]

I wasn't looking for a bow thruster, but the boat I liked in all other aspects  had one fitted, so I ended up with one. 

 

I didn't switch it on for the first 3 months to make sure I could steer the boat in the proper way.  

 

I've gotta say it's very useful when reversing - especially when there' s any crosswind.  Of course it's possible to do it without, but It's more of a timesaver than anything.

 

When reversing around bends, if the nose begins to swing out rather than correcting by dropping into forward + tiller over to bring it back, which kills backward momentum and requires overcoming inertia to get the boat moving backwards again, a quick squirt with the BT (it takes some experience to know exactly how much btw) and you can continue.

 

If you have to reverse through a few curves and have some crosswind without a BT you can end up correcting the nose by dropping into forward + tiller over 10 or more times - which requires overcoming the boat's inertia each time - it just takes much longer. 

 

I tend to tackle reversing into/out of spots that ordinarily without a BT I'd think twice about - e.g. reversing in a crosswind from outside the BoatHouse pub in Braunston around the bend, under the double bridges onto the south Oxford, under the roving bridge for a couple hundred yards to moor up. 

 

When I reverse I always challenge myself to do it without the BT - but if there are lines of moored boats it's nice to know that you can get out of trouble -  if need be.    

 

Do you need one?  No.   Are they useful?  Yes.  

 

Edited November 13, 2020 by bagginz

[Murflynn]

what's wrong with girly buttons anyway?

 

AFAIK the likes of Masters and Johnson berated the male gender for not utilising the girly button through anatomical ignorance.

 

 

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[Alan de Enfield]

30 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

what's wrong with girly buttons anyway?

 

AFAIK the likes of Masters and Johnson berated the male gender for not utilising the girly button through anatomical ignorance.

 

 

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Exactly ............  The squealing sound is very similar to a BT.

[Bee]

1 hour ago, Murflynn said:

what's wrong with girly buttons anyway?

 

AFAIK the likes of Masters and Johnson berated the male gender for not utilising the girly button through anatomical ignorance.

 

 

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Don't quite see what that has to do with 'Thrusters' ...... Oh yes I do now!

[blackrose]

On 11/11/2020 at 18:59, Keeping Up said:

JIn any situation that requires manoeuvring you can either position yourself for rudder steering or for BT steering, they require the boat to be in different places &/or to be differently angled, and if your thruster lets you down at the wrong moment the position can be irrecoverable.

 

 

Sorry Alan but I think that's nonsense. I'm in plenty of situations single-handing my widebeam where I'm steering and just used a blip of the BT to nudge the bow. It's still rudder steering and had the BT not helped (as happens occasionally) then I just carry on with the rudder. Rudder and BT aren't mutually exclusive, and it's not as you suggest an either/or thing. Most of the time when people get into problems using a BT it's because they were using it too much or weren't using it properly - like any other piece of equipment.

 

Anyway, it's very simple really. My personal opinion is if you want a BT get one. If you don't want a BT then don't get one - but don't start having a go at others who have them.

[peterboat]

9 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

I used to love the disturbance as they approached.

 

Many a time we would be sat up top and notice the boat 'jiggling' on its lines.

 

Sure enough shortly after one of these big boats would pass.

Same here as they leave Eastwood lock you know its the Pride with the movement in the water. When it passes it clears out all the debris that floats between you and the bank, as they reverse past in the early morning I sometimes don't wake up because they are such good steerers 

[Sea Dog]

12 hours ago, ivan&alice said:

I'd imagine, being in a tube, that the bow thruster is possibly even more prone to getting clogged with weed or plastic? In that case, how does one clear it? No weed hatch I assume - does that mean you have to take a dip and stick your arm in the tube??

I've only had mine 7 years, but so far I've only opened the weed hatch to black it. The tube has no guard mesh or bars, which theoretically makes it more vulnerable, but in practice has only made it easier to black it effectively. Of course, it could suck something in if you use it in the wrong place, and I suppose if you're inclined to use the girly button in inappropriate situations to make up for inadequacy in your boat handling skills it becomes increasingly likely.  

[Keeping Up]

9 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Sorry Alan but I think that's nonsense. I'm in plenty of situations single-handing my widebeam where I'm steering and just used a blip of the BT to nudge the bow. It's still rudder steering and had the BT not helped (as happens occasionally) then I just carry on with the rudder. Rudder and BT aren't mutually exclusive, and it's not as you suggest an either/or thing. Most of the time when people get into problems using a BT it's because they were using it too much or weren't using it properly - like any other piece of equipment.

 

Anyway, it's very simple really. My personal opinion is if you want a BT get one. If you don't want a BT then don't get one - but don't start having a go at others who have them.

If only everyone used them like you use yours Mike. Sadly, however, the majority of BT owners seem to get rapidly into the habit of relying on it excessively by lining up the stern with their intended endpoint and then using the BT to bring the bows into line.

 

But nowhere have I "had a go at others who have them".

[Murflynn]

1 hour ago, Keeping Up said:

..................... the majority of BT owners seem to get rapidly into the habit of relying on it excessively by lining up the stern with their intended endpoint and then using the BT to bring the bows into line.

 

 

      how very dare they  !!!   

 

 

I'll bet some of them have false rivets as well.

 

bloody disgustin'    

Edited November 13, 2020 by Murflynn